Investigating the nutritional value of food from sustainable sources: insights on the bioaccessibility of key nutrients and the biological properties of food-derived compounds

The 21st century faces significant nutritional challenges as global population growth and current food systems deplete planetary resources. While environmental sustainability has become fundamental throughout the agri-food chain, sustainable food production must also ensure high nutritional value. Since food matrix modifications can influence nutrient bioaccessibility—a limiting factor for nutrient absorption and physiological effects—evaluating variations in this parameter is essential. In the first section, we evaluated protein and n-3 LC-PUFA bioaccessibility in sustainably farmed and processed fish products, confirming preserved nutritional value. However, our assessment of n-3 LC-PUFA bioaccessibility in supplements revealed that Calanus finmarchicus-based products cannot sustainably substitute traditional fatty acid sources like fish oil. Digestion not only makes food components bioaccessible but can also alter nutrients' molecular structure, creating compounds with different or enhanced biological activity. These digestion-derived compounds impact intestinal barrier function, whose dysregulation links to many non-communicable diseases. In the second and third sections, we investigated digestion-derived bioactive compounds' biological effects using an in vitro intestinal barrier model (Caco-2 and HT29-MTX-E12 cell lines). We focused on β-casomorphin-7 (BCM-7) from dairy products and Spirulina-derived compounds (phycocyanin, pheophytin a, and pheophorbide a). Our findings suggest that physiological concentrations of BCM-7 do not negatively affect the intestinal barrier, while Spirulina pigments demonstrate anti-inflammatory effects. This thesis examines crucial gastrointestinal system events, bridging the gap between external food environment and internal human health processes.