Phenolic compounds are less degraded in presence of starch than in presence of proteins through processing in model porridges

Phenolic compounds are known to bind non-covalently with starch, but the impact of this interaction on the stability of the phenolic compounds through processing and digestion has received little attention. In this study, we examined the recovery of intact phenolic compounds (gallic acid-GA, catechin-CAT and epigallocatechin gallate-EGCG) from processed and digested porridges with different formulations (starch or starch/protein). We observed that phenolics were less degraded in presence of starch only than in presence of starch + proteins. This protection seemed to be linked to the ability of the phenolic compounds to form V-type inclusion complexes with starch, with GA, CAT and EGCG in decreasing order of protection. This work could influence formulation of functional cereal-based foods containing phenolic compounds in order to maximize their retention.