Rat health status affects bioavailability, target tissue levels, and bioactivity of grape seed flavanols.
Studying the flavanol metabolism is essential to identify bioactive compounds, as beneficial effects of flavanols have been attributed to their metabolic products. However, host-related factors, including pathological conditions, may affect flavanol metabolism and, thus, their bioactivity. This study aims to elucidate whether hypertension affects grape seed flavanol metabolism, influencing their bioactivity in relation to hypertension.



Grape seed flavanols' effect on blood pressure (BP) was studied in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and healthy Wistar rats 6 h after grape seed extract administration (375 mg/kg). Animals were then sacrificed, and plasma bioavailability and aorta distribution of flavanol metabolites were studied by HPLC-MS/MS in both the groups. Grape seed flavanols were only able to decrease BP in SHR. Plasma total flavanol metabolites showed similar levels, being the difference noticed in specific metabolites' concentrations. Specifically, microbial metabolites showed quantitative and qualitative differences between both health states. Moreover, aorta total concentrations were found decreased in SHR. Interestingly, flavanol microbial metabolites were specifically increased SHR aortas, showing qualitative differences in small phenolic forms.



This study demonstrates important differences in bioactivity and target tissue metabolite levels between healthy and diseased rats, indicating potential metabolites responsible of the anti-hypertensive effect.
Nutrigenomic Research Group, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.|Centre Tecnològic de Nutrició i Salut (CTNS), TECNIO, CEICS, Reus, Spain.
Maria
M
Margalef
Nutrigenomic Research Group, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.
Zara
Z
Pons
Nutrigenomic Research Group, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.
Lisard
L
Iglesias-Carres
Nutrigenomic Research Group, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.|Department of Physiology, CIMUS, University of Santiago de Compostela - Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Mar
M
Quiñones
Nutrigenomic Research Group, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.
Francisca Isabel
FI
Bravo
Nutrigenomic Research Group, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.
Anna
A
Arola-Arnal
Nutrigenomic Research Group, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.|Centre Tecnològic de Nutrició i Salut (CTNS), TECNIO, CEICS, Reus, Spain.
Begoña
B
Muguerza
D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001011:Aorta / Q000187:drug effects; D001682:Biological Availability; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D056604:Grape Seed Extract / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006304:Health Status; D008297:Male; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D027843:Vitis / Q000737:chemistry*
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D005419:Flavonoids; D056604:Grape Seed Extract
Aorta; Bioavailability; Colonic metabolites; Essential hypertension; Grape seed polyphenols