Abstract
Anthocyanins are an important group of phenolic compounds responsible for pigmentation in several plants. For humans, a regular intake is associated with a reduced risk of several diseases. However, molecular instability reduces the absorption and bioavailability of these compounds. Anthocyanins are degraded by external factors such as the presence of light, oxygen, temperature, and changes in pH ranges. In addition, the digestion process contributes to chemical degradation, mainly through the action of intestinal microbiota. The intestinal microbiota has a fundamental role in the biotransformation and metabolization of several dietary compounds, thus modifying the chemical structure, including anthocyanins. This biotransformation leads to low absorption of intact anthocyanins, and consequently, low bioavailability of these antioxidant compounds. Several studies have been conducted to seek alternatives to improve stability and protect against intestinal microbiota degradation. This comprehensive review aims to discuss the existing knowledge about the structure of anthocyanins while discussing human absorption, distribution, metabolism, and bioavailability after the oral consumption of anthocyanins. This review will highlight the use of nanotechnology systems to overcome anthocyanin biotransformation by the intestinal microbiota, pointing out the safety and effectiveness of nanostructures to maintain molecular stability.
Highlights
In recent years, nanotechnology has been considered an important tool for the smart delivery of bioactive compounds in the human body
Anthocyanins have a wide spectrum of biological activities, such as antioxidant, antiinflammatory, or chemopreventive features, which support human health, their low bioavailability and extensive biotransformation interfere with these advantages
Studies point to the promising application of nanotechnology tools to encapsulate anthocyanins, representing a beneficial alternative to maintain molecular stability
Summary
Nanotechnology has been considered an important tool for the smart delivery of bioactive compounds in the human body. Nanoencapsulation can be an alternative for the accurate release of phenolic compounds, such as anthocyanins, in the human intestine, preserving some biological beneficial effects. Nanoencapsulated anthocyanins can be protected from several factors related to human digestion, mainly biotransformation caused by intestinal microbiota while improving absorption [1,2]. Nanoencapsulated anthocyanins can be protected and have controlled release, increasing the absorption of compounds in their integral form with an improvement in bioavailability and antioxidant activity in specific target tissues [18–20]. This comprehensive review provides knowledge about the role of intestinal microbiota in extensive metabolization and the relation with other diverse health benefits of anthocyanins. The review contains a wide discussion on the possible use of nanotechnology to minimize the effects of microbiota action on anthocyanins and to improve controlled intestinal delivery
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