Black carrot polyphenols: effect of processing, storage and digestion—an overview

Abstract

Black carrots represent a valuable source of polyphenols, in particular anthocyanins and phenolic acids, and has attracted the attention of the scientific community especially due to the unique profile of anthocyanin compounds, which are well distinguished for their role in health promotion and prevention of chronic diseases. Black carrots are often not consumed as such, instead they are processed into other products. In general, processed products of black carrot are stored for long term and the polyphenols are susceptible to degradation during storage. In addition, it is also important to determine how the digestion process affects polyphenols as this will, in turn, affect their bioavailability. Accordingly, the potential health-promoting effects of black carrot polyphenols depend on their processing history and their stability during storage as well as their absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. In this perspective, this review provides an overview of the findings on the effects of processing, storage and digestion on black carrot polyphenols.