title: Changes in total and individual crocetin esters upon in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of saffron aqueous extracts.
abstract: Changes that may be expected in crocetin esters (crocins) upon digestion were examined in saffron aqueous extracts for the first time. Chemical characterization of total and individual crocins and other bioactive compounds was achieved by UV-vis spectrophotometry, RP-HPLC-DAD, and LC-ESI-MS. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using in vitro assays and the comet assay. The observed loss for both total and trans-crocins was higher in saffron (∼50%) than in gardenia extracts (∼30%), which were also examined for comparison. Loss was lower than that reported for hydrophobic carotenoids. cis-Isomers were less affected, leading to the hypothesis that trans/cis isomerization may occur in parallel to degradation reactions. Monitoring changes in the extracts at oral, gastric, or intestinal phases, separately, verified this view pointing out the critical effect of pH, temperature, and duration of process but not of digestive enzymes. No isomerization and less degradation (<20% loss) was evidenced when pure trans-crocetin (di-β-D-gentiobiosyl) ester was subjected to gastric or intestinal conditions.
authors: Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Technology, School of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors: Anastasia
authors: A
authors: Kyriakoudi
authors: Maria Z
authors: MZ
authors: Tsimidou
authors: Yvonne C
authors: YC
authors: O'Callaghan
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: Galvin
authors: Nora M
authors: NM
authors: O'Brien
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D002470:Cell Survival; D020552:Comet Assay; D027622:Crocus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D004063:Digestion; D004951:Esterification; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D032062:Gardenia / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000201:enzymology; D008954:Models, Biological; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000201:enzymology; D010189:Pancreatic Juice / Q000201:enzymology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D017365:Spices / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D020298:U937 Cells; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000031:analogs & derivatives
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts; C487773:trans-sodium crocetinate; D014801:Vitamin A; D002338:Carotenoids; C029036:crocin