Abstract: Fruits and vegetables contain abundant phenolic substances, which possess multiple biological activities such as anti-cancer, antioxidant, antibacterial and antiviral functions. In recent years, the bioavailability of phenolic substances has attracted increasing concerns, including gastrointestinal digestion and intestinal microbial decomposition, and the effect of processing methods on the in vitro digestion and intestinal fermentation of phenolic compounds; however, a systematic conclusion is still lacking. This review focuses on the main digestion and absorption as well as processing factors affecting the bioavailability of phenolic compounds in fruits and vegetables, which is expected to provide a theoretical rationale for regulating the bioavailability of phenolic compounds in processed fruits and vegetables products.

Key words: fruits and vegetables; phenolic compounds; bioavailability; processing; gut microorganisms