Metabolism of berry anthocyanins to phenolic acids in humans

J Agric Food Chem. 2009 Mar 25;57(6):2274-81. doi: 10.1021/jf8035116.

Abstract

We studied the metabolism of berry anthocyanins to phenolic acids in six human subjects by giving them bilberry-lingonberry puree with and without oat cereals. Puree + cereals contained 1435 micromol of anthocyanins and 339 micromol of phenolic acids. The urinary excretion of measured 18 phenolic acids increased 241 micromol during the 48 h follow-up after the puree + cereals supplementation. The excretion peak of dietary phenolic acids was observed at 4-6 h after the puree + cereals supplementation and 2 h earlier after the supplementation of the puree alone. Homovanillic and vanillic acids were the most abundant metabolites, and they were partly produced from anthocyanins. No gallic acid, a fragmentation product of delphinidin glycosides, was detected, and only a very low amount of malvidin glycosides was possibly metabolized to syringic acid. Although anthocyanins were partly fragmented to phenolic acids, still a large part of metabolites remained unknown.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acids, Carbocyclic / metabolism*
  • Acids, Carbocyclic / urine
  • Adult
  • Anthocyanins / blood
  • Anthocyanins / pharmacokinetics*
  • Anthocyanins / urine
  • Avena
  • Caffeic Acids
  • Female
  • Fruit / chemistry*
  • Homovanillic Acid / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Hydroxylation
  • Male
  • Methylation
  • Vaccinium myrtillus / chemistry*
  • Vaccinium vitis-idaea / chemistry*
  • Vanillic Acid / metabolism

Substances

  • Acids, Carbocyclic
  • Anthocyanins
  • Caffeic Acids
  • Vanillic Acid
  • caffeic acid
  • Homovanillic Acid