Web Release Date: December 22,
Fate of Anthocyanins and Antioxidant Capacity in Contents of the Gastrointestinal Tract of Weanling Pigs Following Black Raspberry Consumption
Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, Agriculture Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1120 Marshall Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72202
Received for review August 25, 2005. Revised manuscript received October 27, 2005. Accepted November 16, 2005. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Abstract:
Many fruits are rich in anthocyanins (ACNs). ACNs have high antioxidant capacity, but because of
their apparent low bioavailability, their possible roles in health promotion in vivo are still in question.
The objectives of these studies were to determine the fate of ACNs within the gastrointestinal (GI)
tract and the effect on the bioavailability and subsequent metabolism of ACNs. Five weanling pigs
were fed freeze-dried black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis L.) powder by oral administration, which
provided 1146.1 ± 44.6 
mol TE of oxygen radical absorbance capacity with fluorescein as a
fluorescent probe (ORACFL) per kg and 50.5 ± 3.7 mg per kg total ACNs. After 4 h, the pigs were
sacrificed and the contents of five GI segments (duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, and colon) were
collected and analyzed for their total antioxidant capacity (TAC, measured as ORACFL) and ACNs.
The recoveries of TAC and total ACNs were 46.5 ± 3.5 and 41.7 ± 4.9%, respectively. Both total
ACNs and TAC were recovered primarily in the ileum, cecum, and colon at 4 h after a meal. Cyanidin
aglycone with different sugar moieties showed significant differences in their recovery within the GI
tract with sambubiose > sambubiose-rhamnose = rutinose 
glucose. Recovery of ACNs within the
GI tract was positively and linearly associated with urinary ACN recovery, which suggests that stability
within the GI tract and not decreased absorption accounts for the increased recovery. The environment
of different segments of the GI tract may determine the stability of individual ACNs. Complex ACNs
containing di- or triglycosides disappeared more slowly in the GI tract than simple ACNs such as a
monoglycoside. TAC and total ACNs remained high 4 h after feeding, which indicates that ACNs
provide significant antioxidant protection in the environment of the gut epithelium.
Keywords: Anthocyanin; antioxidant; black raspberry; gastrointestinal tract; metabolism
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