Quercetin 3-O-β-glucoside is better absorbed than other quercetin forms and is not present in rat plasma

The effect of the nature of the sugar moiety on quercetin absorption has been investigated in rats. Four groups of rats received an experimental meal containing 20 mg of quercetin equivalents, supplied as quercetin, quercetin 3-O-β-glucoside, quercetin 3-O-β-rhamnoside or rutin. Four hours after the meal, the metabolites identified in hydrolysed plasma were identical in all groups (3′- and 4′-methylquercetin). However, the total concentration of metabolites was markedly different: 11.2±1.8, 2.5±2.0 and 33.2±3.5 μM for the quercetin, rutin, and quercetin 3-glucoside meals respectively. After quercetin 3-rhamnoside consumption, we failed to detect any metabolites in the plasma. These data suggest that the 3-O-glucosylation improves the absorption of quercetin in the small intestine, whereas the binding of a rhamnose to the aglycone markedly depresses it. Additional experiments have shown that the higher plasma levels measured after quercetin 3-glucoside meal compared to the quercetin meal were maintained throughout the 24-hour period following the meal. Using a multi-electrode coulometric detection, together with suitable chromatographic conditions, we were able to distinguish between the conjugated and the glycosylated forms. Thus, we clearly showed the absence of quercetin 3-O-β-glucoside in the plasma from rats fed a diet containing this glucoside. This result suggests that quercetin 3-O-β-glucoside is hydrolysed before or during its intestinal absorption.     

反相高效液相色谱法测定不同品种花椒中芦丁和槲皮素的含量

目的:建立RP-HPLC测定花椒中芦丁与槲皮素含量的方法,并对不同种花椒的中芦丁与槲皮素含量进行测定与比较。方法:Zorbax Eclipse C18色谱柱(150 mm×4.6 mm,5μm),流动相∶甲醇-0.4%磷酸(50∶50);流速1 mL/min;检测波长:360 nm;柱温25℃。结果:芦丁在0.25~5.0μg,r=0.999 9峰面积与质量浓度呈良好的线性关系;平均回收率为99.1%,RSD为4.3%(n=3)。槲皮素在0.25~0.5μg,r=0.999 9峰面积与质量浓度呈良好的线性关系;平均回收率为111.2%,RSD为5.1%(n=3)。结论:该方法可用于花椒中芦丁和槲皮素的测定。测定结果表明,韩城红花椒中芦丁含量最高,茂汉红花椒次之,四川青花椒较少,云南青花椒最低。槲皮素在韩城红花椒中含量较高,在其他三种花椒中差别不大。     

Activities of muscadine grape skin and quercetin against Helicobacter pylori infection in mice

Aims: To explore the preventative potential of muscadine grape skin (MGS) and the single flavonoid, quercetin, as an alternative means for ameliorating Helicobacter pylori infection and/or the H. pylori‐induced inflammatory response in mice. Methods and Results: The antimicrobial and anti‐inflammatory properties of MGS and quercetin, a major phenolic constituent, were evaluated against H. pylori in vitro and in vivo. The antimicrobial activity of quercetin was evaluated against 11 H. pylori strains in vitro with inhibition of all strains at 128–64 μg ml^?1. In vivo studies showed a moderate reduction in H. pylori counts following treatment with 5 and 10% MGS or quercetin (25 mg kg^?1 body weight) in addition to significantly reduced inflammatory cytokines (TNF‐α, IL‐1β and IFN‐γ) when compared with untreated mice. Conclusions: MGS and quercetin did not significantly reduce H. pylori growth in a mouse model. However, these products were effective in regulating the inflammatory response to H. pylori infection. Significance and Impact of the Study: Our results suggest that H. pylori infection may be reduced or prevented via the consumption of fruits rich in certain phenolic compounds (e.g. quercetin) such as muscadine grapes.     

Complex disruption effect of natural polyphenols on Bcl-2-Bax: molecular dynamics simulation and essential dynamics study

Apoptosis (programmed cell death) is a process by which cells died after completing physiological function or after a severe genetic damage. Apoptosis is mainly regulated by the Bcl-2 family of proteins. Anti apoptotic protein Bcl-2 prevents the Bax activation/oligomerization to form heterodimer which is responsible for release of the cytochrome c from mitochondria to the cytosol in response to death signal. Quercetin and taxifolin (natural polyphenols) efficiently bound to hydrophobic groove of Bcl-2 and altered the structure by inducing conformational changes. Taxifolin was found more efficient when compared to quercetin in terms of interaction energy and collapse of hydrophobic groove. Taxifolin and quercetin were found to dissociate the Bcl-2-Bax complex during 12?ns MD simulation. The effect of taxifolin and quercetin was, further validated by the MD simulation of ligand-unbound Bcl-2-Bax which showed stability during the simulation. Obatoclax (an inhibitor of Bcl-2) had no significant dissociation effect on Bcl-2-Bax during simulation which favored the previous experimental results and disruption effect of taxifolin and quercetin.     

Antioxidant protective effect of flavonoids on linoleic acid peroxidation induced by copper(II)/ascorbic acid system

Antioxidants are compounds that can delay or inhibit lipid oxidation. The peroxidation of linoleic acid (LA) in the absence and presence of Cu(II) ion–ascorbate combinations was investigated in aerated and incubated emulsions at 37 °C and pH 7. LA peroxidation induced by copper(II)–ascorbic acid system followed first order kinetics with respect to hydroperoxides concentration. The extent of copper-initiated peroxide production in a LA system assayed by ferric thiocyanate method was used to determine possible antioxidant and prooxidant activities of the added flavonoids. The effects of three different flavonoids of similar structure, i.e. quercetin (QR), morin (MR) and catechin (CT), as potential antioxidant protectors were studied in the selected peroxidation system. The inhibitive order of flavonoids in the protection of LA peroxidation was: morin > catechin ≥ quercetin, i.e. agreeing with that of formal reduction potentials versus NHE at pH 7, i.e. 0.60, 0.57 and 0.33 V for MR, CT, and QR, respectively. Morin showed antioxidant effect at all concentrations whereas catechin and quercetin showed both antioxidant and prooxidant effects depending on their concentrations. The structural requirements for antioxidant activity in flavonoids interestingly coincide with those for Cu(II)-induced prooxidant activity, because as the reducing power of a flavonoid increases, Cu(II)–Cu(I) reduction is facilitated that may end up with the production of reactive species. The findings of this study were evaluated in the light of structure–activity relationships of flavonoids, and the results are believed to be useful to better understand the actual conditions where flavonoids may act as prooxidants in the preservation of heterogeneous food samples containing traces of transition metal ions.     

Quercetin alleviated H2O2‐induced apoptosis and steroidogenic impairment in goat luteinized granulosa cells

Quercetin (Que) is a natural flavonoid in most plants. Luteinized granulosa cell (LGC) culture is necessary for the study of follicle growth/differentiation. In the present study, we analyzed the role of Que in steroid production and apoptosis in hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)‐treated goat LGCs. The results showed that treatment with H₂O₂ induced apoptosis in goat LGCs, and treatment with Que decreased LGC apoptosis induced by H₂O₂ (P < .05), accompanied with the different expressions of BAX, BCL‐2, Caspase 3, and Cleaved caspase 3. Meanwhile, the messenger RNA expressions of nuclear factor erythroid 2 like 2 (Nrf2) and its downstream genes were upregulated with H₂O₂ +Que treatment, accompanied by the increased cellular viability (P < .05). Furthermore, Que alleviated H₂O₂‐induced reduction in the secretion of progesterone (P₄) (P < .05); however, it had no effect on the secretion of estrogen (E₂). Simultaneously, the expressions of StAR and P450scc were increased when treated with Que +H₂O₂, compared with the group treated with only H₂O₂ (P < .05). In conclusion, it is observed that Que could alleviate the H₂O₂‐induced apoptosis and steroidogenic impairment in goat LGCs, which might be mediated by the Nrf2 pathway.     

β-Glucosidase Activity in the Rat Small Intestine toward Quercetin Monoglucosides

In order to evaluate the positional specificity for a glucoside group in the hydrolysis of flavonoid glucosides in the rat small intestine, β-glucosidase activity was measured with the quercetin monoglucosides, quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (Q3G), quercetin-4′-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (Q4′G) and quercetin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (Q7G), as well as with quercetin-3-O-rutinoside (rutin) and p-nitrophenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (NPG) by using the HPLC technique. Enzymes were prepared from rat small intestinal mucosa of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum, among which the enzyme activity of the jejunum was highest for all the glycosides tested. Q4′G was the richest substrate for a β-glucosidase solution among these glycosides, while rutin and NPG were both poor substrates. This suggests that dietary flavonoid glucosides are primarily hydrolyzed and liberated aglycones in the jejunum.     

Neutral Sugar Fragments from Antibiotic K-52B

The neutral constituent sugars of antibiotic K-52B and their glycosidic linkages were examined by methylation analysis and Smith degradation. After partial acid hydrolysis of K-52B, neutral oligosaccharides I, II and III were isolated, and the constituent sugars of each oligosaccharide and their glycosidic linkages were similarly examined. K-52B was found to contain α-d-glc_p-(l → 4)-d-gal_p-(l → 4)-l-fuc and l-ara_f-(1 → 4)-d-gal-(l → as neutral sugar fragments.     

ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIHYPERLIPIDEMIC ACTIVITIES OF ISOLATED QUERCETIN FROM ANABAENA AEQUALIS1

This study aimed to isolate quercetin (for the first time) from Anabaena aequalis Borge, which inhabits soil surface of Wadi El‐Alaqui Protectorate located in Aswan city, Egypt. The isolated compound showed significant antibacterial activity against the gram‐positive bacteria Sarcina maxima and Micrococcus kristinae, the gram‐negative bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae, as well as against the filamentous fungus Aspergillus flavus. The isolated compound was identified as quercetin using the structure elucidation based on UV, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESIMS), ¹H and ¹³C NMR, proton–proton correlation spectroscopy (¹H‐¹H COSY), distortionless enhancement by polarization transfer (DEPT), heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC), and heteronuclear multiple bond correlations spectrum (HMBC). Medium lethal dose (LD₅₀) of the isolated compound and its side effects against hyperlipidemia induced by ethanol intake in albino rats were carried out. No deaths were reported in rats within 72 h, which suggests that the isolated compound plays a beneficial role as an antihyperlipidemic agent in the treatment of alcohol‐induced hepatic tissue damage, which can be described as one of the therapeutic values.