Flavonoids are natural phenolic compounds, which are the active ingredients in several dietary supplements. It is well-known that some flavonoid aglycones are potent inhibitors of the xanthine oxidase (XO)-catalyzed uric acid formation in vitro. However, the effects of conjugated flavonoid metabolites are poorly characterized. Furthermore, the inhibition of XO-catalyzed 6-mercaptopurine oxidation is an important reaction in the pharmacokinetics of this antitumor drug. The inhibitory effects of some compounds on xanthine vs. 6-mercaptopurine oxidation showed large differences. Nevertheless, we have only limited information regarding the impact of flavonoids on 6-mercaptopurine oxidation. In this study, we examined the interactions of flavonoid aglycones and some of their conjugates with XO-catalyzed xanthine and 6-mercaptopurine oxidation in vitro. Diosmetin was the strongest inhibitor of uric acid formation, while apigenin showed the highest effect on 6-thiouric acid production. Kaempferol, fisetin, geraldol, luteolin, diosmetin, and chrysoeriol proved to be similarly strong inhibitors of xanthine and 6-mercaptopurine oxidation. While apigenin, chrysin, and chrysin-7-sulfate were more potent inhibitors of 6-mercaptopurine than xanthine oxidation. Many flavonoids showed similar or stronger (even 5- to 40-fold) inhibition of XO than the positive control allopurinol. Based on these observations, the extremely high intake of flavonoids may interfere with the elimination of 6-mercaptopurine.
Keywords: 6-mercaptopurine; biotransformation; flavonoid conjugates; flavonoids; food-drug interaction; xanthine; xanthine oxidase.