Encapsulation in Polyvinylpyrrolidone Protects the Ora-Pro-Nobis (Pereskia Aculeata Miller) Extracts against the Deleterious effects of In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion

Pereskia aculeata Miller, commonly known as ora-pro-nobis, is a South American plant widely found in Brazil and classified as a wild plant. Its leaves are rich in bioactive compounds with reported antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties, supporting growing interest in their use as functional ingredients. This study compared conventional hydroethanolic extraction of antioxidant compounds from P. aculeata leaves with a process combining extraction and simultaneous encapsulation, aiming to evaluate differences in stability and bioaccessibility during simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Free and encapsulated extracts (80:20 ethanol: water, v/v) were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), while encapsulated systems were further analyzed by dynamic light scattering (DLS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Thermal behavior and antiproliferative activity were also evaluated. Total phenolics, flavonoids and antioxidant activity were determined before and after in vitro digestion. Extraction and encapsulation yields were 17.25% and 92.75%, respectively, with the encapsulated extract corresponding to 62% of the free extract. Simulated digestion reduced phenolic content, flavonoid levels, and antioxidant activity in both systems; however, significantly lower losses were observed for the encapsulated extract, indicating improved stability. The apparent divergence between better radical-scavenging stability (ABTS/DPPH) and lower TPC/TFC bioaccessibility in the encapsulated samples likely reflects release- and assay-specific effects. PVP can establish hydrogen-bond and dipolar interactions with phenolics, which may slow their diffusion or release and reduce their immediate availability to react with the Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum-chloride reagents, lowering measured TPC/TFC in the digesta fraction. In contrast, encapsulation can limit oxidative degradation during digestion, thereby preserving redox-active constituents and sustaining radical-scavenging capacity in ABTS/DPPH assays.

Palavras-chave

Antioxidant activity Bioaccessibility Encapsulation Gastrointestinal digestion Ora pro-nobis

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10198/36173

Citação

Teixeira, Valeria M. C.; De Oliveira, Anielle; Santos Filho, José Rivaldo dos.; De Carvalho, Amarilis S.; Uchoa, Ashley; Peron Ana P.; Mandim, Filipa; Pereira, Eliana; Leimann, Fernanda V.; Contato, Alex G.; Peralta, Rosane M. (2026). Encapsulation in Polyvinylpyrrolidone Protects the Ora-Pro-Nobis (Pereskia Aculeata Miller) Extracts against the Deleterious effects of In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion. Food Biophysics. ISSN 1557-1858. 21:1, p. 1-14