Changes in phytochemical content, bioaccesibility and antioxidant capacity of corn tortillas during simulated in vitro gastrointestinal digestion

• Published in: Food chemistry Vol. 405; p. 134223
• Main Authors: Menchaca-Armenta, Mariela, José Frutos, María, Ramírez-Wong, Benjamín, Valero-Cases, Estefanía, Muelas-Domingo, Raquel, Quintero-Ramos, Armando, Isabel Torres-Chávez, Patricia, Carbonell-Barrachina, Ángel A., Irene Ledesma-Osuna, Ana, Nydia Campas-Baypoli, Olga
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 30.03.2023
• Subjects: Corn tortilla; Extrusion; Gut health; In vitro digestion; Nixtamalization; Non-extractable phenolics; BC; A; DF; M; Corn tortilla; SF; dw; FRAP; ENBT; PBS; CGE; DPPH; GAE; MW; ENBCF; NEF; Non-extractable phenolics; TNWT; TE; ε; Nixtamalization; Extrusion; In vitro digestion; ABTS; Gut health
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.134223

•Corn tortillas are valuable sources of bioaccessible phytochemicals during digestion.•The anthocyanins bioaccessibility at the end of the digestion was 17.90–29.91 %•The highest accesibility of phenolic compounds was in intestinal phase:162.83–960.7 %•Corn tortillas exhibited antioxidant capacity during the gastrointestinal digestion.•Both tortillas could function as prebiotic agents in the large intestine (colon) There is a little information about the effect of corn process conditions on the bioactive compounds of tortillas during gastrointestinal digestion. Tortillas elaborated with traditional and extrusion nixtamalization process were subjected to in vitro digestion. Extracts recovered from digestion were employed to determine the changes in phytochemicals, bioaccesibility and antioxidant capacity (DPPH, ABTS and FRAP). Digestion contributed to a greater solubilization of phenolic compounds in raw corn and tortillas, especially in the intestinal phase (311.4–583.2 mg GAE/100 g). With bioaccessibility indexes of 162.83 to 960.7 %. Intestinal phase affected the content of anthocyanins, reaching a lower bioaccessibility value than the found in undigested samples (17.90–29.91 %). Even though the traditional white tortilla showed the highest bioaccessibility values, blue tortilla showed a higher antioxidant activity in different phases of digestion. Both tortillas could function as prebiotic agents in the large intestine. Corn-based products are valuable as part of a healthy diet.