Enhancement of bioavailability and bioactivity of diet-derived flavonoids by application of nanotechnology

 Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nut. 63 (3) 378-393 (2023)

Flavonoids, which are a class of polyphenols widely existing in food and medicine, have enormous pharmacological effects. The functional properties of flavonoids are mainly distributed to their anti-oxidative, anticancer, and anti-inflammatoryeffects, etc. However, flavonoids’ low bioavailability limits their clinical application, which is closely related to their intestinal absorption and metabolism. In addition, because of the short residence time of oral bioactive molecules in the stomach, low permeability and low solubility in the gastrointestinal tract, flavonoids are easy to be decomposed by the external environment and gastrointestinal tract after digestion. To tackle these obstacles, technological approaches like microencapsulation have been developed and applied for the formulation of flavonoid-enriched food products. In the light of these scientific advances, the objective of this review is to establish the structural requirements of flavonoids for appreciable anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects, and elucidate a comprehensive mechanism that can explain their activity. Furthermore, the novelty in application of nanotechnology for the safe delivery of flavonoids in food matrices is discussed. After a literature on the flavonoids and their health attributes, the encapsulation methods and the coating materials are presented.

Chitosan and flavonoid glycosides are promising combination partners for enhanced inhibition of heterocyclic amine formation in roast beef

 Food Chemistry, 375, 131859, 2022

The effects of different kinds of chitosan, oligomer (ChiO) and monomer (Gluco), and the combinations of polymer (Chi) or ChiO with flavonoid aglycones and glycosides against the formation of major HAs were investigated to find out potential combination partners for enhanced suppression of HA formation. Results in roast beef patties showed ChiO and Gluco significantly inhibited PhIP and MeIQx formation by 43–80% and 31–57%, respectively. Of which, ChiO was the most effective. In combinations with flavonoid glycosides (phloridzin, rutin and hesperidzin, respectively), Chi, but not ChiO, generated enhanced inhibitory effects. Further analysis showed Chi and phloridzin combined at a ratio of 1:1 was the most promising, especially in inhibiting PhIP, and the mechanism behind involved: 1) water retention by Chi, and 2) reduction of phenylalanine availability by phloridzin. These findings suggest that appropriate combination of Chi and flavonoid glycosides contributes to significant improvement in the safety of meat products.