3 - Health promoting benefits of PEF: bioprotective capacity against the oxidative stress and its impact on nutrient and bioactive compound bioaccessibility

Abstract

Pulsed electric field (PEF) is a relative innovative technology of food treatment, which enables obtaining high-quality and safe food products. PEF treatment due to its affinity to cell electroporation has been used for the preservation of liquid foods. Nowadays, PEF can also be a useful tool for designing processes with a wide range of new applications such as production of healthy food products with enhanced beneficial properties for human health. An overview of the current literature shows the potential of PEF to enhance new functional properties of foods based on its ability to increase nutrients and bioactive compounds extractability. This process can lead to increased bioaccessibility and bioavailability of several beneficial compounds such as carotenoids, anthocyanins, or polyphenols on health. This chapter is aimed at evaluating the effects of PEF treatment on the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of selected bioactive compounds found in carrots, grapes, oranges, tomatoes as well as fruit drinks and milk products. Moreover, the investigation of the bioprotective effect of the PEF-treated food products against the oxidative stress was evaluated. More studies are needed to optimize PEF conditions for increasing bioaccessibility and bioavailability of nutritional compounds in the different food matrix.