Impact of ozone treatment on food polyphenols – A comprehensive review

Increasing the bioavailability of bioactive ingredients in foods, mainly phenolic compounds, is essential for enhancing health status and preventing chronic diseases. However, the challenge in front of food processors is to maintain bioactive compounds in food while achieving a long shelf life and fresh-like sensory quality. Consequently, ozone technology offers a competitive advantage over thermal processing as a means of food preservation. The interaction between ozone and food induces the antioxidant defence system against oxidative damage and enhances the production of antioxidant and stress-related secondary metabolites. This article examines the effect of ozone treatment on polyphenolic compounds in food. Among the areas of greatest interest are not only the pre and post-harvest treatments of food matrixes, but also the explanation of mechanisms involved in the ozone-related response and the main pathways for secondary metabolites biosynthesis. The available literature indicates that ozone treatment has significant effects on secondary metabolites accumulation and health-related properties depending on many factors such as cultivar, ozone form (aqueous or gaseous), dose, and application method. According to most published literature, ozone boosts the bioavailability of antioxidant compounds (e.g., polyphenols) and stress-related volatiles, supporting the hypothesis that polyphenols could be enhanced in different foods by means of ozone.