Bioacessibility studies related to antioxidant phenolic extracts from two edible species of the genus Hericium
Conference Paper
Overview
Overview
abstract
Mushrooms are rich sources of nutrients, but also of bioactive molecules such as phenolic
compounds. Phenolic acids are among the major low molecular weight bioactive components
usually found in mushroom species, contributing to their antioxidant properties [1]. Following the
ingestion, these molecules have to be released from the food matrix and further transformed by
the organism, to became accessible and exert their bioactive properties [2]. Several in vitro
methodologies have been developed in arder to evaluate the bioacessibility of bioactive
compounds, proving to be easy, cheap and reproducible, being possible to evaluate the
digestivo stability of the food constituents [3]. Herein, two wild edible mushroom species
originated from Northeast Portugal (Herícium erinaceus (Buli.) Persoon and Hericium
coralloides (Scop.) Pers.), were analysed for their nutritional value, detailed chemical
composition and antioxidant properties. Furthermore, in arder to evaluate the bioaccessibiljty of
the compounds responsible for the mushrooms antioxidant properties, a digestion of the dry
powder and phenolic extracts was performed under in vitro conditions. The Hericium species
showed similar chemical profiles (except for tocopherols), varying only in the concentration of
these compounds. The phenolic extracts presented the highest antioxidant activity that is in
agreement with the highest concentration in phenolic acids found in those samples before in
vitro digestion. This means that after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, the bioactive compounds
can suffer structural changes (losing the OH groups responsible for the antioxidant activity) that
decreased the antioxidant properties. Nevertheless, they are bioaccessible and still display
antioxidant activity.
