Brown algae fucoxanthin is hydrolyzed to fucoxanthinol during absorption by Caco-2 human intestinal cells and mice.
The metabolic fate in mammals of dietary fucoxanthin, a major carotenoid in brown algae, is not known. We investigated the absorption and metabolism of fucoxanthin in differentiated Caco-2 human intestinal cells, a useful model for studying the absorption of dietary compounds by intestinal cells. Fucoxanthin was taken up by Caco-2 cells incubated with micellar fucoxanthin composed of 1 micromol/L fucoxanthin, 2 mmol/L sodium taurocholate, 100 micromol/L monoacylglycerol, 33.3 micromol/L fatty acids and 50 micromol/L lysophosphatidylcholine. Fucoxanthinol, the deacetylated product of fucoxanthin, was also found in both medium and cells, with its level increasing significantly in a time-dependent manner. No conjugated forms of fucoxanthin and fucoxanthinol were found in either medium or cells. In the animal study, fucoxanthinol (10.4 +/- 5.3 nmol/L plasma, n = 4) was detected in plasma of mice 1 h after intubation of 40 nmol fucoxanthin. These results indicate that dietary fucoxanthin is incorporated as fucoxanthinol, the deacetylated form, from the digestive tract into the blood circulation system in mammals.
Sugawara
Tatsuya
T
National Food Research Institute, 2-1-12 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8642, Japan.
Baskaran
Vallikannan
V
Tsuzuki
Wakako
W
Nagao
Akihiko
A
D000818:Animals; D018938:Caco-2 Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003470:Culture Media; D006801:Humans; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D008049:Lipase / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D024341:Xanthophylls / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
D003470:Culture Media; D024341:Xanthophylls; C025164:fucoxanthin; D008049:Lipase