Antioxidant capacity in the bioavailable fraction as an indicator for selecting wholesomeness strawberry varieties in breeding programs

Strawberry phenolic compounds are responsible of many health benefits and are one of the major contributors to antioxidant capacity. In this study, different phenolic compounds as well as antioxidant capacity (TEAC) were determined spectrophotometrically and by HPLC on strawberry fruits of different genotypes. In addition, fruits of five selected genotypes were subjected to simulated in vitro digestion to determine their bioaccessibility and bioavailability. Digested extracts from the two most contrasting genotypes were further used to evaluate in vitro bioactivity on HepG2 cells. The main results showed that cultivar's raw fruits differed in their amount of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity. Besides, the pre-digested amount of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity did not match the values obtained after digestion in the genotypes evaluated. This indicates that the health promoting properties of strawberries are modified after digestion, being necessary to assess the effect of digested extracts on cellular bioactivity. In this sense, the highest bioactivity (i.e. lower reactive oxygen species and cell death) was achieved in the cultivar with the highest bioavailable antioxidant capacity, suggesting the use of this parameter as a reliable indicator for selecting strawberry fruits with health promoting properties in breeding programs. [Display omitted] •Strawberry polyphenols are one of the major antioxidant capacity dietary contributors.•Antioxidant capacity as an integrative parameter of antioxidant potential.•Digestion process affects the antioxidant bioavailability and their bioactivity.•“AC-bioavailable” as a new target for wholesome fruit in breeding program.