Digestion and Colonic Fermentation of Cactus Fruits from the Brazilian Semiarid Region (<i>Pilosocereus gounellei</i> and <i>Cereus jamacaru</i>) Impacts Bioaccessibility and Functional Potential

This study evaluated the bioactivity and metabolite production of cactus fruits after gastrointestinal digestion and in vitro colonic fermentation. After gastrointestinal digestion, there were a 2.27- and 3.34-fold increase in total phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity in xique-xique and a 1.46- and 1.98-fold increase for mandacaru, respectively. Compounds such as quercetin, procyanidin B2, and vanillin increased for both fruits in the intestinal phase, while gallic and ferulic acids decreased. The final pH after 72 h of fermentation was 6.11 and 5.89 for xique-xique and mandacaru fruits, respectively. Flavonoids in both fruits are consumed during fermentation, leading to a reduction of total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity but to an increase in phenolic acid content. The highest production of acetic, propionic, and butyric acids (228.45; 128.32; and 72.20 mg/L, respectively) was observed after mandacaru fermentation. Thus, xique-xique and mandacaru fruits show promising potential for the preparation of foods with prebiotic claims.