Analysis of Polyphenolic Compounds in Water-Based Extracts of <i>Vicia faba</i> L.: A Potential Innovative Source of Nutraceutical Ingredients

The water-based extract of broad bean hulls contains several bioactive molecules, including polyphenols well-known to exert antioxidant activity, which could justify its use in nutraceutical formulations. Hence, the current investigation aimed to establish the polyphenolic profile of water-based extracts from broad bean hulls through UHPLC–Q-Orbitrap HRMS analysis. The findings highlighted that p-coumaric acid, chlorogenic acid, and epicatechin were the most common compounds found in the tested extracts, being quantified at a mean concentration of 42.1, 32.6, and 31.2 mg/100 g, respectively. Moreover, broad bean hull extracts were encapsulated into a nutraceutical formulation, after which the antioxidant properties and the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds during the simulated gastrointestinal (GI) process were investigated and compared with the digested non-encapsulated extract. The data highlighted that following the GI process, the capsules were able to preserve active compounds from the adverse effects of digestion, resulting in a greater antioxidant capacity and polyphenol bioaccessibility in the duodenal and colonic phases, compared with the non-encapsulated extract. Our results showed that the water extract from broad bean hulls may be considered a valuable source of natural polyphenolic compounds; in addition, the use of a gastric-resistant capsule could be a suitable alternative to transport these bioactive compounds to the target tissues