APPLICATION OF THE INFOGEST METHOD TO EVALUATE THE BIOACCESSIBILITY AND STABILITY OF PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS FROM GUAPEVA (POUTERIA GARDNERIANA) DURING IN VITRO GASTROINTESTINAL DIGESTION

Native fruits stand out for their unique flavor, high nutritional value, and potential therapeutic benefits. Among them, fruits from the Brazilian Cerrado, such as guapeva (Pouteria gardneriana), deserve special attention due to their richness in bioactive compounds and the scarcity of in-depth studies on their functional properties. Knowledge about their chemical composition and the digestive behavior of these compounds is still limited, considering that the efficacy of phenolics is closely linked to bioaccessibility and bioavailability. This study aimed to evaluate the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds from guapeva pulp and peel by simulating in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. The fruits were collected in the Cerrado region, cleaned, pulped, dried at 45°C, crushed, sieved, and stored at −20°C. Digestion followed the INFOGEST protocol, using specific enzymes and pH adjustments to simulate the physiological conditions of each stage. After each phase, the extracts were analyzed for total flavonoid and flavonol content, and antioxidant activity by FRAP, CUPRAC, CRT, and DPPH methods, and phenolic profile. All analyses were performed in triplicate, with statistical analysis using the t-test and Tukey's test (p < 0.05). The results demonstrated that the digestive process significantly influenced the bioactive compounds (p < 0.05). In the peels, CRT increased from 155.26 to 200.86 mg QE 100 g⁻¹, suggesting the formation of neoantioxidants, while FRAP decreased from 197.28 to 47.98 mg TE 100 g⁻¹ and DPPH from 75.60 to 28.04% inhibition, between the undigested and intestinal phases. Flavonols underwent moderate degradation (82.56 to 56.53 mg QE 100 g⁻¹). In the pulp, CRT remained high (405.50 to 362.29 mg QE 100 g⁻¹), FRAP showed recovery in the intestinal phase, and DPPH fell from 56.30 to 16.28% inhibition. After reduction in the oral and gastric phases, pulp flavonols increased from 27.54 to 95.37 mg QE 100 g⁻¹ in the intestinal phase, possibly due to release or structural modification, suggesting degradation associated with pH variations, enzymatic action, and interactions in the food matrix. Gallic acid and caffeic acid were the predominant compounds, with bioaccessibility of 76.96% (aqueous extract) and 55.07% (ethanolic) for gallic acid, and lower values for caffeic acid (17.70% and 12.46%, respectively), indicating greater stability and potential absorption of gallic acid in the gastrointestinal tract. These findings indicate that digestion directly influences the bioaccessibility and stability of guapeva bioactive compounds, highlighting differences between pulp and peel and reinforcing its functional potential. Studies on digestive behavior are also essential to validate its health benefits.