Evaluation of the total phenolic content, antioxidative capacity, and chemical fingerprint of Annona crassiflora Mart. Bioaccessible molecules

Representation of m the process of simulated in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of araticum and obtaining the fingerprint of the samples. [Display omitted] •Different parts of the fruit and different geographic locations significantly impact the total phenolic content and the antioxidant potential of araticum.•The total phenolic content was relatively higher in the fruit peel.•Epicatechin, procyanidin, quercetin, and caffeoyl glucose were listed only in natura samples.•The in vitro digestion process simulating the gastrointestinal tract showed that new compounds may appear as quercetin derivatives.•The global evaluation showed that the matrix would directly influence the bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds. Annona crassiflora Mart. (araticum) is an exotic fruit native to the Brazilian Cerrado that stands out for its phytochemical profile, especially for the presence of bioactive compounds. The health-related benefits promoted by these metabolites are widely explored. It is known that the biological activity of bioactive compounds is directly dependent on the availability of the molecules, and their bioaccessibility after the digestion process is one of the main limiting factors. The present study aimed to evaluate the bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds in some parts of araticum (peel, pulp and seeds) fruits obtained from different regions through the in vitro digestion process simulating the gastrointestinal tract. The total phenolic content ranged from 480.81 to 1007.62 for pulp; 837.53 to 1926.56 for peel; and 358.28 to 1186.07 for seeds (mg GAE.100 g−1 of sample). The highest antioxidant activity was observed for the seeds by the DPPH method, the peel by the ABTS method, and most of the peel, except for the Cordisburgo sample, by the FRAP method. Through the research of the chemical profile, it was possible to list up to 35 compounds, including the nutrients, in this identification attempt. It was observed that some compounds were listed only in natura samples (epicatechin and procyanidin) and others only for the bioaccessible fraction (quercetin-3-O-dipentoside), which is justified by the different gastrointestinal tract conditions. Thus, the present study elucidates that the food matrix will directly influence the bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds. In addition, it highlights the potential of unconventionally used or consumed parts that can be used as sources of substances with biological activities, increasing the sustainability by red