Solvent extraction and in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion of phenolic compounds from purple sweet potato

The total content of phenolic compounds in purple sweet potato (PSP) was determined and the release of such compounds from PSP in gastrointestinal digestion was studied in vitro. The extraction conditions for the maximum recovery of free phenol (FP) and bound phenol (BP) from PSP were determined by response surface methodology (RSM). The maximum recovery of FPPSP was 14.16 ± 0.87 mg GAE per g short for dry weight (DW), which was obtained using 60% (v/v) ethanol maceration with a liquid–solid ratio of 57.21:1 (mL g⁻¹) at 51.93 °C for 2.12 h. The maximum recovery for BPPSP was 7.54 mg GAE per g DW, which was obtained upon hydrolysis with 1.87 mol L⁻¹ NaOH at a liquid–solid ratio of 35.93:1 (mL g⁻¹) for 4.74 h. The maximum phenolic content was released after 1 and 2 h for the in vitro gastric and intestinal digestion respectively. The release of the phenolics was promoted by pepsin and gastric acid during gastric digestion, while it was further promoted by trypsin during intestinal digestion.