Recently, Food Nutrition and Functional Foods Innovation Team, Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), reviewed the structure and function of antioxidant dietary fibre in foods systematically. The review was published in Trends in Food Science and Technology (IF: 15.3). The first author is Xueqing Wang, a jointly trained Ph.D. student from GSCAAS-ULg Program. Professor Fengzhong Wang and Associate Professor Lili Wang are the co-corresponding authors. The study received support from the National Key Research and Development Program (2021YFD1600100).

    Polyphenols and dietary fibre are important functional nutrients in foods. Non-extractable polyphenols in the food matrix can form complexes with dietary fibre through physical or chemical interactions, known as “antioxidant dietary fibre”. Antioxidant dietary fibre has functional properties of both non-extractable polyphenols and dietary fibre and can play a synergistic or complementary role in the body. However, the functional properties of antioxidant dietary fibre are greatly influenced by various factors such as extraction methods, compositions, and structure. Therefore, it is of great significance to study its preparation methods, structural identification, and functional properties.

    This study systematically reviewed the preparation methods of antioxidant dietary fibre, including liquid extraction method, enzymatic method, adsorption method, and antisolvent precipitation method. These methods can obtain antioxidant dietary fibre by isolating from samples or forming using polyphenols and cell wall materials in vitro. The structure and characterization methods were summarized, especially for the interaction between non-extractable polyphenols and dietary fibre, and non-covalent interactions were the main driving force for the formation of antioxidant dietary fibre. The article summarizes the functional properties of antioxidant dietary fibre, including bioaccessibility, bioavailability, prebiotics, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties.

    This study highlights the importance of antioxidant dietary fibre in the food matrix, and systematically reviews information about preparation methods, structure, and functional characteristics of preparation, providing a theoretical reference for exploring its health benefits and developing functional foods.

Link to the paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2023.104305