Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) and enriched fresh goat cheese: (poly)phenol profile and stability after INFOGEST 2.0 in vitro digestion method

Date palm fruit ( Phoenix dactylifera ) is a nutrient-dense food rich in (poly)phenols. This study evaluated the profile and stability of free and bound (poly)phenols in underutilized Confitera fresh dates and in fresh goat cheese fortified with 4% and 8% date paste, including their behavior during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. A total of 45 (poly)phenols were identified in date paste, mainly hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonols. In fortified cheeses, 22 (poly)phenols were quantified, with flavonols showing higher retention (100%) than hydroxycinnamic acids (54.0%). In vitro digestion revealed high stability and increased bioaccessibility of several date-paste (poly)phenols, such as caffeoylshikimic acid (250%) and chrysoeriol glycoside (160%). In contrast, the dairy matrix markedly reduced the stability of soluble-free (poly)phenols in enriched cheese, where only four compounds remained detectable, with bioaccessibility values ranging 11–43%. The insoluble-bound fraction retained most compounds, and new compounds appeared after digestion. The highest colon-available index in enriched cheese was observed for ferulic acid (1000%). Overall, the study indicated that the food matrix plays a decisive role in modulating the release and stability, of (poly)phenols during digestion. • Insoluble bound (poly)phenols represented the main fraction in fresh Confitera date paste, highlighting the importance of characterizing these understudied compounds. • Flavonols showed higher recovery in cheese than hydroxycinnamic acids, indicating selectivity. • Soluble-free (poly)phenols from date paste showed high stability during in vitro digestion, notably caffeoylshikimic acid 5 and chrysoeriol glycoside 2. • Incorporation of date paste into the dairy matrix dramatically decreased the (poly)phenol bioaccessibility index (from 100–200% to 11–32%) but increased the colon-available index, particularly for ferulic acid.