Bioaccessibility of Tocopherols, Carotenoids, and Ascorbic Acid from Milk- and Soy-Based Fruit Beverages: Influence of Food Matrix and Processing

TLDR

The study examined how high‑pressure processing and thermal treatment affect the bioaccessibility of tocopherols, carotenoids, and ascorbic acid in 12 fruit‑juice‑milk beverages, considering the influence of the food matrix (whole milk, skimmed milk, soy milk). High‑pressure processing reduced carotenoid and ascorbic acid bioaccessibility across all beverages, preserved tocopherols in whole and skimmed milk but lowered them in soy milk, while thermal treatment lowered tocopherol and carotenoid bioaccessibility but increased ascorbic acid, and overall α‑tocopherol and ascorbic acid were most bioaccessible in whole‑milk beverages, least in soy milk, with HPP combined with a milk.

Abstract

A study was made of the effect of high-pressure processing (HPP) and thermal treatment (TT) on plant bioactive compounds (tocopherols, carotenoids, and ascorbic acid) in 12 fruit juice-milk beverages and of how the food matrix [whole milk (JW), skimmed milk (JS), and soy milk (JSy)] modulates their bioaccessibility (%). HPP (400 MPa/40 °C/5 min) produced a significant decrease in carotenoid and ascorbic acid bioaccessibility in all three beverages and maintained the bioaccessibility of tocopherols in JW and JS while decreasing it in JSy. TT (90 °C/30 s) produced a significant decrease in tocopherol and carotenoid bioaccessibility in all three beverages and increased the bioaccessibility of ascorbic acid. With regard to the food matrix, α-tocopherol and ascorbic acid bioaccessibility was greatest in JW beverages and lowest in JSy beverages, whereas no significant differences were found among the three beverages in terms of carotenoid bioaccessibility. HPP-treated samples showed higher tocopherol and carotenoid bioaccessibility than TT-treated samples, thus indicating that HPP combined with a milk matrix positively modulates the bioaccessibility of certain types of bioactive components of food, mainly those of a lipophilic nature.