Effect of high-pressure processing on the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds from cloudy hawthorn berry (Crataegus pinnatifida) juice

The impact of high-pressure (HPP, 300/600 MPa for 2 and 6 min) and thermal (TP, 65 ℃/30 min) processing on phenolic profiles from cloudy hawthorn berry juice (CHBJ) as well as their potential bioaccessibility during in vitro digestion were investigated. Both HPP and TP enhanced phenolics concentration due to increased extractability, indicating CHBJ provided a good matrix for protecting phenolics from degradation during food processing. Importantly, HPP significantly enhanced phenolics bioaccessibility (35.12%) compared to untreated juice (30.54%) (p < 0.05), probably due to the release of bound phenolics. This might be attributed to the reinforced interaction of phenolics with other matrix compounds induced by HPP which provided effective protection for phenolics with a sustained digestive release. Additionally, 70.07–152.92 µg/100 mL of phenolics were available for large-intestine health. These findings provide basic knowledge on HPP application for designing functional juice with improved bioaccessibility of antioxidant-phenolics.