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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Functional Foods Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #363534
Research Project: Evaluation of the Chemical and Physical Properties of Low-Value Agricultural Crops and Products to Enhance Their Use and Value

Location: Functional Foods Research

Title: Purification of quercetin sophoroside and evaluation of its metabolism in a rat gut model

Author
item WANG, YANLING - University Of Illinois
item Berhow, Mark
item BLACK, MOLLY - University Of Illinois
item JEFFERY, ELIZABETH - University Of Illinois

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/14/2019
Publication Date: 9/24/2019
Citation: Wang, Y., Berhow, M.A., Black, M., Jeffery, E.H. 2019. Purification of quercetin sophoroside and evaluation of its metabolism in a rat gut model. Meeting Abstract. 58th Annual Meeting of the Phytochemical Society of North America. July 20-24, 2019, Johnson City, TN.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Broccoli has a number of constituents that may have an effect on the prevention of the development of chronic diseases in mammals. However, the exact mechanism of how they are absorbed by the gut from food and in what form they are absorbed has been difficult to ascertain. It has not been fully characterized as to whether the plant flavonoids are absorbed intact, or to what degree the flavonoids are metabolized in the gut before they are absorbed. Broccoli has a number of bioactive phytochemicals, including the flavonoid quercetin sophoroside, whose absorption by the body has not been examined. Quercetin sophoroside is difficult to purify in quantity from broccoli so it was instead purified from Apocynum venetum (sword-leaf dogbane or Luo Bu Ma) and characterized by MS^2^, ^1^H and ^13^C NMR. An in situ rat gut model was used to compare absorption and metabolism of quercetin sophoroside with that of the well-studied quercetin aglycone. In agreement with the literature, the aglycone was absorbed in the jejunum, where it underwent glucuronidation, sulfation and methylation. The quercetin sophoroside was shown to be absorbed intact and underwent subsequent methylation and sulfation in the jejunum. Whereas the aglycone also underwent a little phase II metabolism and absorption in the cecum, only products of catabolism were seen for quercetin sophoroside following cecal introduction. Cecal catabolism by the microbiota was similar among the two substrates, forming derivatives of benzoic acid, phenylacetic acid, and phenyl propionic acid. Although sophorosides are common glycosides in brassica vegetables, red raspberries and other plants, this is the first study of sophoroside absorption and metabolism. This shows that there are many intact and altered forms of this flavonoid glycoside which is a key piece of knowledge to lead to the assessment of the actual biological activity of these compounds in mammals that digest foods such as broccoli.