Review on the Effect of Non-thermal Processing Technologies on the Bioavailability of Carotenoids in Fruits and Vegetables

Abstract

Carotenoids are a kind of fat-soluble natural pigments widely found in fruits and vegetables, having a variety of functional properties. Generally, the bioavailability of carotenoids in fruits and vegetables is low, and different processing methods will have different effects on the release and bioavailability of carotenoids. So how to improve the bioavailability of carotenoids in fruits and vegetables through scientific means becomes a research hotspots in the fruit and vegetable processing field. This article briefly describes the effects of different non-thermal processing technologies on the bioavailability of fruits and vegetables’ carotenoids, and briefly summarizes the ways that processing affects the bio-availability of fruits and vegetables’ carotenoids, such as destroying natural structural barriers (cell walls), or promoting the dissolution of pectin, lipids and other substance, or damaging the structure of carotenoid-protein complex, etc. This study provides a reference for different non-thermal processing technologies for improving the bioavailability of fruits and vegetables’ carotenoids and precise regulation of nutritional quality.

Keywords

• carotenoids
• bioavailability
• pectin
• high-pressure homogenization technology
• ultra high pressure technology
• high voltage pulsed electric field technology