Formation and characterisation of feruloyl glycerol with simulated intestinal digestion

Abstract Ferulic acid (FA) is recognised for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the application is limited due to its poor solubility. Glycerol esterification improves the hydrophilicity of organic phenolic acids. The results showed that feruloyl glycerol (FG) was successfully synthesised with a molecular weight of 268. During the simulated intestinal digestion, free FA was released from FG under the action of pancreatin. Consequently, FA and FG were present in mixed micelles, and the proportion of free FA positively correlated with pancreatin activity, which improved the bioaccessibility of FA. During the colonic fermentation phase, we observed that FA could also be released from FG through the action of gut microbiota, but the content of FG in digestive residue was low, indicating that most of the FG was hydrolysed in the small intestine. This experiment helps to understand the absorption pathways and fate of FG during digestion and provides guidance for the utilisation of insoluble organic phenolic acids.