Assessing quality and polyphenol in vitro bioaccessibility in healthy jelly gummies with microencapsulated and non-encapsulated pomegranate peel extract.

Background: Pomegranate peel extract (PPE) is rich in polyphenols, notably punicalagin and ellagic acid, but is sensitive to environmental degradation and has low bioavailability. Microencapsulation can enhance PPE stability and bioaccessibility, making it suitable for functional foods like jelly gummies (JG). JG containing microencapsulated PPE (MPPE) have not been studied.

Objective: To characterize a JG prototype incorporating PPE or MPPE and compare the bioaccessibility of total polyphenols (TP), punicalagin, and ellagic acid after a simulated in vitro digestion.

Methods: PPE-JG and MPPE-JG prototypes were evaluated for physical, sensory, and chemical properties. The bioaccessibility of the main bioactive compounds was analyzed using the INFOGEST digestion protocol.

Results: Bioaccessibility was significantly higher for MPPE-JG compared to PPE-JG for TP (164.1 ± 6.0 vs. 100.0 ± 5.8 %, respectively) and punicalagin (173.4 ± 4.4 vs. 106.5 ± 4.2 %, respectively). MPPE-JG exhibited enhanced bioaccessibility, suggesting MPPE as a viable, functional ingredient in healthy gummies.