Urinary excretion of 5-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl)-gamma-valerolactone, a ring-fission metabolite of (-)-epicatechin, in rats and its in vitro antioxidant activity.
There is great interest in the nutritional potential of (-)-epicatechin, a common polyphenolic constituent of many foods and beverages, because of its potent antioxidant capacity. To better evaluate the biological role of (-)-epicatechin, we studied the urinary excretion of 5-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl)-gamma-valerolactone, a ring-fission metabolite of (-)-epicatechin by intestinal microflora, in rats as well as its antioxidant activity in vitro. The method for measuring the urinary levels of (-)-epicatechin and 5-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl)-gamma-valerolactone was based on the enzymatic hydrolysis of beta-glucuronidase and sulfatase, and was subsequently determined by HPLC coupled to an electrochemical detector. Following administration of (-)-epicatechin at doses of 0, 20, 40, and 80 mumol per rat, (-)-epicatechin and 5-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl)-gamma-valerolactone were excreted into the urine within 24 h in a dose-dependent manner. Urinary 5-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl)-gamma-valerolactone was mostly in the conjugated form, with a higher ratio of conjugation than (-)-epicatechin. We assessed the relative antioxidant potentials for scavenging radicals in the aqueous phase as expressed in the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC). The results demonstrated that the degradation of (-)-epicatechin into 5-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl)-gamma-valerolactone attenuated the antioxidant ability of the former. However, 5-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl)-gamma-valerolactone showed stronger antioxidant activity than l-ascorbic acid. These results led us to suppose that 5-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl)-gamma-valerolactone, a microbial metabolite of (-)-epicatechin, circulating in the body may also at least be biologically active in terms of contributing to its combined antioxidant effect.
Unno
Tomonori
T
Central Research Institute, Ito En, Ltd, 21 Mekami, Sagara-cho, Haibara-gun, Shizuoka 421-0516, Japan. t-unno@itoen.co.jp
Tamemoto
Kimiko
K
Yayabe
Fumihisa
F
Kakuda
Takami
T
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D002392:Catechin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D002839:Chromans / Q000737:chemistry; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D007783:Lactones / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
C406785:(-)-5-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl)-valerolactone; D000975:Antioxidants; D002839:Chromans; D007783:Lactones; D002392:Catechin; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; C010643:6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid