Methylation of tea catechins by rat liver homogenates.
Methylation of (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECg), and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) was carried out with a rat liver homogenate and S-adenosyl-L-methionine. A structural analysis of the reaction products by MS and NMR showed that 4'-O-methyl EGC, 4"-O-methyl ECg, and 4"-O-methyl EGCg had been formed from EGC, ECg, and EGCg, respectively. These results suggest that methylation may be one of the metabolic pathways to the catechins.
Okushio
K
K
Food Research Institute, Mitsui Norin Co. Ltd., Shizuoka, Japan.
Suzuki
M
M
Matsumoto
N
N
Nanjo
F
F
Hara
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D002392:Catechin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008745:Methylation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012436:S-Adenosylmethionine / Q000378:metabolism; D016339:Spectrometry, Mass, Fast Atom Bombardment; D013662:Tea / Q000378:metabolism*
D005419:Flavonoids; D013662:Tea; D012436:S-Adenosylmethionine; D002392:Catechin; C062669:epicatechin gallate; C045651:epigallocatechin gallate; C057580:gallocatechol