Issue 1, 2018

Metabolic fate of strawberry polyphenols after chronic intake in healthy older adults

Abstract

Strawberries contain a wide array of nutrients and phytochemicals including polyphenols such as anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins and ellagitannins. These polyphenols are absorbed and metabolized to various phenolic metabolites/conjugates in the body, which may play a role in disease risk reduction. In the present study, we investigated the metabolic fate of strawberry polyphenols after chronic (90 days) supplementation of freeze-dried strawberry (24 g d−1, equivalent to 2 cups of fresh strawberries) vs. control powder in 19 healthy older adults. Blood samples were collected at two time-points i.e., fasting (t = 0 h) and 2 h after the breakfast meal. On days 45 and 90 breakfast also included a control or strawberry drink consistent with their treatment randomization. A total of 21 polyphenolic metabolites were quantified in plasma consisting of 3 anthocyanins/metabolites, 3 urolithin metabolites and 15 phenolic acid metabolites. Among anthocyanins/metabolite, pelargonidin glucuronide (85.7 ± 9.0 nmol L−1, t = 2 h, day 90) was present in the highest concentration. Persistent concentrations of anthocyanins/metabolites, urolithins and some phenolic acids were observed in fasting (t = 0 h) plasma samples on day 45 and 90 after strawberry drink consumption suggesting a role of enteric, enterohepatic recycling or upregulation of gut microbial and/or human metabolism of these compounds. Our results suggest that strawberry polyphenols are absorbed and extensively metabolized, and can persist in the circulation.

Graphical abstract: Metabolic fate of strawberry polyphenols after chronic intake in healthy older adults

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
20 Nov 2017
Accepted
18 Dec 2017
First published
19 Dec 2017

Food Funct., 2018,9, 96-106

Metabolic fate of strawberry polyphenols after chronic intake in healthy older adults

A. K. Sandhu, M. G. Miller, N. Thangthaeng, T. M. Scott, B. Shukitt-Hale, I. Edirisinghe and B. Burton-Freeman, Food Funct., 2018, 9, 96 DOI: 10.1039/C7FO01843F

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