title: Gender-related similarities and differences in the body distribution of grape seed flavanols in rats.
abstract: METHODS
  Dietary flavanols produce beneficial health effects, and once absorbed, they are recognized as xenobiotics and undergo phase-II enzymatic detoxification. Flavanols health-promoting properties are mainly attributed to their metabolic products. This work aimed to elucidate whether rats of the opposite sex exhibited differences in the metabolism and distribution of ingested flavanols.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acute doses of grape seed polyphenols were administered to male and female rats. After 1, 2 and 4 h, plasma, liver, mesenteric white adipose tissue (MWAT), brain and hypothalamus flavanol metabolites were quantified by HPLC-MS/MS. Results indicated important sex-related quantitative differences in plasma and brain. Moreover, remarkable sex-related differences in the distributions and types of flavanol metabolites were also observed between liver and brain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated that sex differentially influences the metabolism and distribution of flavanols throughout the bodies of rats, which may affect the physiological bioactivities of flavanols between males and females.
authors.affiliation: Nutrigenomic group, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Rovira i Virgili University, Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Margalef
authors.affiliation: Nutrigenomic group, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Rovira i Virgili University, Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Zara
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Pons
authors.affiliation: Nutrigenomic group, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Rovira i Virgili University, Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Lisard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Iglesias-Carres
authors.affiliation: Nutrigenomic group, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Rovira i Virgili University, Tarragona, Spain.|Centre Tecnològic de Nutrició i Salut (CTNS), TECNIO, CEICS, Reus, Spain.
authors.forename: Lluís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Arola
authors.affiliation: Nutrigenomic group, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Rovira i Virgili University, Tarragona, Spain.|Centre Tecnològic de Nutrició i Salut (CTNS), TECNIO, CEICS, Reus, Spain.
authors.forename: Begoña
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Muguerza
authors.affiliation: Nutrigenomic group, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Rovira i Virgili University, Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arola-Arnal
mesh_terms: D052436:Adipose Tissue, White / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D056604:Grape Seed Extract / Q000737:chemistry*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012737:Sex Factors; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D005419:Flavonoids; D056604:Grape Seed Extract; C041477:3-hydroxyflavone
keywords: Bioavailability; Grape seed; Metabolites; Polyphenol; Sex