Effects and improvements of storage conditions and processing on the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables

Phytochemicals found in fruits and vegetables offer health benefits for degenerative diseases, but their bioaccessibility are often limited due to poor stability. Various environmental conditions such as temperature, moisture, pH, as well as different processing methods, significantly impact phytochemicals. These factors are becoming increasingly important in the food industry and are attracting the attention of many researchers. This review examines the advantages and disadvantages of mechanical processing, thermal processing, and non-thermal processing and their effects on content, bioaccessibility, antioxidant activity, and sensory properties of phytochemicals. Non-thermal processing is considered to have the potential to replace traditional thermal processing due to its lesser degradation of phytochemicals. The operations and effects of various non-thermal processing techniques, including high-pressure processing, high-pressure homogenization, pulsed electric field, ultrasound, supercritical carbon dioxide, cold atmospheric plasma, bioprocessing, and encapsulation, are reviewed. The aim of this review is to provide the latest information on processing for future research and innovation.