Flavonoid compounds exhibit a wide range of health benefits as plant-derived dietary components. Typically, co-consumed with the food matrix,they must be released from the matrix and converted into an absorbable form (bioaccessibility) before reaching the small intestine, where they are eventually absorbed and transferred into the bloodstream (bioavailability) to exert their biological activity. However, a large number of studies have revealed the biological functions of individual flavonoid compounds in different experimental models, ignoring the more complex but common relationships established in the diet. Besides, it has been appreciated that the gut microbiome plays a crucial role in the metabolism of flavonoids and food substrates, thereby having a significant impact on their interactions, but much progress still needs to be made in this area. Therefore, this review intends to comprehensively investigate the interactions between flavonoids and food matrices, including lipids, proteins, carbohydrates and minerals, and their effects on the nutritional properties of food matrices and the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of flavonoid compounds. Furthermore, the health effects of the interaction of flavonoid compounds with the gut microbiome have also been discussed. HIGHLIGHTSFlavonoids are able to bind to nutrients in the food matrix through covalent or non-covalent bonds.Flavonoids affect the digestion and absorption of lipids, proteins, carbohydrates and minerals in the food matrix (bioaccessibility).Lipids, proteins and carbohydrates may favorably affect the bioavailability of flavonoids.Improved intestinal flora may improve flavonoid bioavailability.
Keywords: Dietary flavonoids; bioaccessibility; bioavailability; food matrix; gut microbiome.