Unveiling the bioactivity and bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds from organic coffee husks using an in vitro digestion model

Abstract

BACKGROUND The large quantities of by-products generated in the coffee industry are a problem. Studies related to the biological potential of organic coffee husks are still limited. The aim of this work was to investigate the occurrence of phenolic compounds in organic coffee husks and to evaluate their potential as a source of bioactive dietary components. RESULTS To achieve this objective, three extracts were prepared, namely extractable polyphenols (EPs), hydrolyzable non-extractable polyphenols (H-NEPs), and non-extractable polyphenols (NEPs). These extracts were characterized and evaluated for their bioactive properties after simulated gastrointestinal digestion. The results show that the extraction process affected the occurrence of phenols from coffee peels, especially for caffeic acid, gallic acid, and chlorogenic acid. The free and bound polyphenols found in the extracts and digests not only showed antioxidant properties against 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals but were also strongly bioavailable and had good anticoagulant potential. CONCLUSION These results highlight the potential health benefits of phytochemicals from coffee husks and open new perspectives for the use of such compounds in dietary supplements. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.