Interactions between Salivary Proteins and Apple Polyphenols and the Fate of Complexes during Gastric Digestion.

Beneficial polyphenols in apples can reach the stomach as complexes formed with salivary proteins. The present study aimed at documenting the interactions between salivary proteins and cider apple polyphenols and the fate of complexes during gastric digestion. A polyphenolic extract was mixed with human saliva, and interactions were characterized by analyzing proteins and polyphenols in the insoluble and soluble fractions of the mixtures, before and after in vitro gastric digestion. Results confirmed that proline-rich proteins can efficiently precipitate polyphenols and suggested that two zinc-binding proteins can also form insoluble complexes with polyphenols. The classes of polyphenols involved in such complexes depended on the polyphenol-to-protein ratio. In vitro gastric digestion led to extensive proteolysis of salivary proteins, and we formulate the hypothesis that the resulting peptides can interact with and precipitate some procyanidins. Saliva may therefore partly modulate the bioaccessibility of at least procyanidins in the gastric compartment.

Effect of alcoholic fermentation in the content of phenolic compounds in cider processing

The objective of this work was to study the effect of alcoholic fermentation on the content of phenol compounds of five cider apple varieties. The initial content in the apple juice samples, as determined by HPLC, varied from 188.4 to 2776.17 m mg.L-1. In three of them (DC, PJ, GU), the total phenol compounds remained unaffected by fermentation. However, in two (DM, KE), the final values were lower (55 and 313 mg.L-1). In these apple cider, the values of caffeic acid increased from 6.6 mg.L-1 to 41.8 mg.L-1. The catechin content increased during the process, approximately 13 mg.L-1 independent of the variety. The other phenols class did not present any modifications due to the alcoholic fermentation, maintaining the phenolic compounds of original clarified apple juice in the cider.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar o efeito da fermentação alcoólica no teor de compostos fenólicos de cinco mostos de maçãs industriais. Os compostos fenólicos foram analisados por HPLC. Os mostos apresentaram fenóis totais entre 188,4 a 2776,17 mg.L-1. Os teores de fenóis durante a fermentação permaneceram os mesmos para as variedades DC, PJ e GU, entretanto, em DM e KE foi observada uma diminuição dos teores de fenóis (55 e 313 mg.L-1, respectivamente). Em KE o teor do ácido caféico aumentou de 6,6 mg.L-1 para 41,8 mg.L-1. O teor de catequinas aumentou cerca de 13 mg.L-1 durante o processo, independente da variedade. As outras classes de fenóis não apresentaram modificações com a fermentação alcoólica, permanecendo na sidra os compostos fenólicos do suco de maçã clarificado.