Influence of In Vitro digestion on the bioaccessibility and bioactivity of phenolic compounds from Raw and Boiled African Indigenous green leafy vegetables

Abstract: African leafy vegetables (ALVs) comprise of traditional vegetables that have been domesticated and cultivated for extensive periods within Africa and indigenous vegetables that biologically exist in the area of natural growth such as the wild and arable land. The majority of ALVs are considered as neglected and underutilised, hence, their production has remained minimal. These vegetables contain bioactive compounds such as phenolic compounds that have been linked to the improvement of human health. Phenolic compounds and their bioactivity can be affected by different processing methods such as boiling. Further, the phenolic compounds and bioactivity determined in the original vegetable may be different from the compounds available after consumption in the digestive tract for absorption and metabolism. Therefore, in this study, the effects of boiling and in vitro human simulated digestion on phenolic compounds and bioactivity of the African leafy green vegetables, blackjack (Bidens pilosa), African pumpkin (Momordica balsamina), black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) were investigated and compared with a commonly consumed leafy green vegetable spinach (Spinacia oleracea)...Ph.D. (Food Technology