Bioaccesibilidad in vitro de compuestos bioactivos en untables de fruta

Abstract

[ES] Los untables de fruta representan una alternativa valiosa al consumo convencional de fruta, especialmente para personas mayores que pueden enfrentar dificultades relacionadas con la masticación y la deglución. A pesar de estas limitaciones, es crucial mantener la fruta en la dieta de esta población, ya que constituye una fuente esencial de vitaminas, fibra y antioxidantes, cuyos beneficios se extienden a la salud cardiovascular y al control de peso. El objetivo principal de este trabajo consiste en investigar los compuestos bioactivos intrínsecos presentes en las frutas y evaluar su grado de bioaccesibilidad. Para ello, se empleará digestión in vitro mediante el método estático estandarizado INFODIGEST. Este método nos permite simular las condiciones digestivas del tracto gastrointestinal humano y evaluar cómo los compuestos bioactivos son liberados durante la digestión. Para la determinación cuantitativa de los compuestos bioactivos y su actividad antioxidante, se aplicarán técnicas analíticas, como la espectrofotometría y la cromatografía líquida de alta resolución. Estas técnicas permitirán cuantificar la cantidad de compuestos bioactivos liberados y biodisponibles para su absorción intestinal. Durante la realización de este trabajo final de grado se aplicarán conceptos de bioquímica de alimentos, técnicas de análisis de alimentos y principios de nutrición y salud, así como habilidades en el manejo de equipos de laboratorio, la interpretación y redacción de resultados analíticos.

[EN] Fruit spreads are an alternative to conventional fruit consumption for older people who may have chewing and/or swallowing problems. It is important to keep fruit in your diet as a source of vitamins, fiber and antioxidants, as they are related to cardiovascular benefits, weight control... To know what happens in the body after consuming the spreads, the intrinsic bioactive compounds will be studied to fruits and their bioaccessibility, using the standardized static in vitro digestion method proposed by Minekus et al. (2014). Various parameters were analyzed: total carotenoids (TC), total phenols (TF) and antioxidant activity (AO) by spectrophotometry; in addition to the control parameters that were established: pH, degrees Brix and optical properties. To complement the study, a tasting of the spreads focused on elderly people was designed and carried out, where the Just-About-Right scale was applied for the interpretation of results. Regarding control parameters, differences in pH and °Brix affect the perceived sweetness of spreads, with MAD being the sweetest but also the most acidic. This result was contrasted with the sensory analysis, for which MAD obtained the value of being the spread perceived as the least sweet. Optical properties vary significantly (p < 0.05) between samples, with MAG standing out for its yellowest and purest color (highest values of b* and h*), while FR is the darkest and least saturated (less L *). The in vitro digestion percentages obtained showed no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) between MEC, MAG and MAD but with FR (p < 0.05). This is due to the insoluble fiber content of the strawberry and the addition of tomato concentrate in its formulation. In the study of bioactive compounds, the presence of insoluble fiber also influences. Regarding the sensory analysis based on penalties, it has been deduced that the attribute sweetness is penalized if it is below the JAR point.