Absorption of Anthocyanin Rutinosides after Consumption of a Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) Extract

Abstract

The dominant anthocyanins in blackcurrant are delphinidin-3-O-rutinoside and cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside. Data on their absorption and distribution in the human body are limited. Therefore, we performed a human pilot study on five healthy male volunteers consuming a blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) extract. The rutinosides and their degradation products gallic acid and protocatechuic acid were determined in plasma and urine. The rutinosides' concentrations peaked in both plasma and urine samples within 2 h of extract ingestion. The recoveries of delphinidin-3-O-rutinoside and cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside from urine samples were 0.040 ± 0.011% and 0.048 ± 0.016%, respectively, over a 48 h period. Protocatechuic acid concentration increased significantly after ingestion of the blackcurrant extract. Our results show that after ingestion of a blackcurrant extract containing delphinidin-3-O-rutinoside and cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside, significant quantities of biologically active compounds circulated in the plasma and were excreted via urine. Furthermore, these results contribute to the understanding of anthocyanin metabolism in humans.

Anthocyanin Metabolites in Human Urine after the Intake of New Functional Beverages

“…Moreover, sucralose was the sweetener that provided the highest bioavailability for most compounds (CA, CAT, THBA, and TIFA derivatives, DHPAA-sulfate, HA and VA-glucuronide-sulfate), followed by stevia (DHPAA, HA-sulfate, and VA-sulfate). Sucrose did not provide a remarkably higher bioavailability of any compound as compared with sucralose or stevia, due to intestinal sugar carriers, which may play an important role in flavonoid absorption [29]. A study carried out by Mülleder et al showed that the addition of sucrose to juices decreased the total excretion of anthocyanins [30].…”

Therapeutic Effects of Anthocyanins for Vision and Eye Health

“…There are many reports suggest that AC are absorbed directly (without any metabolization) and then distributed in the blood before being excreted intact into the urine [18,19,20]. BCA consists mainly of AC rutinosides, which have higher bioavailability compared to AC monoglucoside precursors.…”

Anthocyanins: From the Field to the Antioxidants in the Body

“…The total excreted amount was calculated: 0.040% (Dp3rut) and 0.048% (Cy3rut) of the ingested doses. In addition, after consumption of the anthocyanin-rich extract, the concentration of the main metabolite, protocatechuic acid, increased significantly [54].…”

“…The maximum concentration in the plasma was reached in 0.3 and 0.5 h, respectively, while the maximum concentration of anthocyanins from blueberry powder was reached in 4 h. Interestingly, the maximum anthocyanin concentration in plasma varied from 1.4 to 591.7 nM and did not depend on the administered dose, which was possibly due to differences in the anthocyanin composition in various foods. Recently, a human pilot study was performed by Rȯhrig and colleagues [54] on five healthy male volunteers who were consuming anthocyanin-rich blackcurrant extract. They studied the kinetics of the dominant anthocyanins-Dp3rut and Cy3rut-in plasma and urine after the consumption of blackcurrant extract.…”