Identifying the limits for ellagic acid bioavailability: A crossover pharmacokinetic study in healthy volunteers after consumption of pomegranate extracts

Journal of Functional Foods

Pilar Zafrilla¹  Juana Mulero¹  Rocío García-Villalba²  Francisco A. Tomás-Barberán²  M. Ángeles Núñez-Sánchez²  Joao Tomé-Carneiro²  Antonio González-Sarrías²  Juan Carlos Espín² 

[1] Department of Food Technology and Nutrition, Catholic University of San Antonio, Murcia, Spain;Research Group on Quality, Safety and Bioactivity of Plant Foods, Department of Food Science and Technology, CEBAS-CSIC, P.O. Box 164, 30100 Campus de Espinardo, Murcia, Spain;

关键词: Bioavailability;    Ellagic acid;    Pharmacokinetics;    Pomegranate;    Punicalagin;    Urolithins;   

DOI  :  

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Ellagic acid (EA) is a polyphenol that must be released from the non-bioavailable ellagitannins in pomegranates, walnuts or strawberries to be absorbed. To estimate whether EA bioavailability could be improved after consumption of a high free EA amount, we conducted a crossover pharmacokinetic study in healthy volunteers that consumed two pomegranate extracts providing either 130 mg punicalagin+524 mg EA (PE-1) or 279 mg punicalagin+25 mg EA (PE-2). Targeted metabolomics (UPLC-ESI-qTOF-MS/MS) identified plasma free EA but not phase-II conjugates. EA pharmacokinetics showed high interindividual variability. Cmax ranged from 12 to 360 nM (PE-1: 74.8 ± 54.4 nM; PE-2: 64.1 ± 76.8 nM). In vitro digestion supported in vivo results. EA bioavailability was limited by the ellagitannin, pH and protein environment. A higher free EA intake does not enhance its bioavailability but promotes urolithin production. Bioavailability of EA, as the unchanged fraction that reaches the systemic circulation, is not as low as previously thought.

【 授权许可】

Unknown