Untargeted metabolomics reveals changes in phenolic profile following in vitro large intestine fermentation of non-edible parts of Punica granatum L

Boutheina Fellah; Gabriele Rocchetti; Biancamaria Senizza; Gianluca Giuberti; Marwa Bannour; Ali Ferchichi; Luigi Lucini

doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2019.108807

Untargeted metabolomics reveals changes in phenolic profile following in vitro large intestine fermentation of non-edible parts of Punica granatum L

Food Res Int. 2020 Feb:128:108807. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2019.108807. Epub 2019 Nov 21.

Authors

Boutheina Fellah¹, Gabriele Rocchetti², Biancamaria Senizza³, Gianluca Giuberti³, Marwa Bannour⁴, Ali Ferchichi¹, Luigi Lucini³

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Sciences, University of Tunis El-Manar II, Campus Academia, 2092 Tunis, Tunisia; Laboratory of Aridoculture and Oasian Cultures, Institute of Arid Regions of Medenine, 4119 Tunis, Tunisia.
² Department for Sustainable Food Process, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy. Electronic address: gabriele.rocchetti@unicatt.it.
³ Department for Sustainable Food Process, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy.
⁴ Unit of Research of Plant Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Tunis El-Manar II, Campus Academia, 2092 Tunis, Tunisia.

PMID: 31955767
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2019.108807

Abstract

In this study, the untargeted phytochemical profile of non-edible parts of pomegranate (i.e., flowers, leaves and peels) was depicted by using untargeted metabolomics. Each sample was in vitro digested and then fermented simulating a large intestinal process, then monitoring the changes of phenolic bioaccessibility. The most abundant compounds in pomegranate extracts were polyphenols, terpenoids, sterols, alkaloids and amino acids. The untargeted metabolomic approach revealed a transformation of flavonoids over 24 h of in vitro fermentation. In particular, an increase in the % bioaccessibility for phenolic acids and tyrosols in flowers (probably due to the insoluble dietary fibre content, i.e., 27.1 g 100 g^-1) was observed. Accordingly, the highest % bioaccessibility was detected after 24 h of in vitro large intestine fermentation for flower (i.e., 53.8%). Results showed that non-edible parts of pomegranate could be used as ingredients for the development of potential value-added food and industrial products.

Keywords: Bioaccessibility; Foodomics; In vitro large intestine fermentation; Non-edible parts; Phytochemicals; Punica granatum L..

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Bioreactors*
Digestion / physiology
Fermentation
Flowers / chemistry*
Metabolomics*
Plant Leaves / chemistry*
Pomegranate / chemistry*