Abstract
Purpose
To date, several in vitro and in vivo studies have shown phenolic compounds occurring naturally in olives and olive oil to be beneficial to human health due to their interaction with intracellular signaling pathways. However, the bioavailability of the most important of these compounds, hydroxytyrosol (HT), and its transformation into derivatives within the organism after oral intake are still not completely understood, requiring further in vivo research. This study deals with the differential bioavailability and metabolism of oral HT and its derivatives in rats.
Methods
Hydroxytyrosol (HT), hydroxytyrosol acetate (HTA), and 2,3-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) were administered at doses of 1 and 5 mg/kg to Sprague–Dawley rats (n = 9 per treatment) by oral gavage. Their plasma kinetics and absorption ratio, assessed as their excretion in 24-h urine, were determined by UHPLC/MS/MS.
Results
Plasma and urine levels indicated that although the three compounds are efficiently absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and show similar metabolism, the bioavailability is strongly dependent on the derivative considered, dosage, and gender. Inter-conversion among them has been described also, suggesting an interaction with internal routes. Microbiota metabolites derived from these phenolics were also taken into account; thereby, homovanillic alcohol and tyrosol were identified and quantified in urine samples after enzymatic de-conjugation, concluding the metabolic profile of HT.
Conclusions
Our results suggest that different dosages of HT, HTA, and DOPAC do not provide a linear, dose-dependent plasma concentration or excretion in urine, both of which can be affected by the saturation of first-phase metabolic processes and intestinal transporters.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brenes M, de Castro A (1998) Transformation of oleuropein and its hydrolysis products during Spanish-style green olive processing. J Sci Food Agric 77:E353–E358
Blekas G, Vassilakis C, Harizanis C, Tsimidou M, Boskou DG (2002) Biophenols in table olives. J Agric Food Chem 1:3688–3692
Brenes M, García A, García P, Garrido A (2001) Acid hydrolysis of secoiridoid aglycons during storage of virgin olive oil. J Agric Food Chem 49:5609–5614
Owen RW, Mier W, Giacosa A, Hull WE, Spiegelhalder B, Bartsch H (2000) Phenolic compounds and squalene in olive oils: the concentration and antioxidant potential of total phenols, simple phenols, secoroids, lignans and squalene. Food Chem Toxicol 38:647–659
Tuck KL, Hayball PJ (2002) Major phenolic compounds in olive oil: metabolism and health effects. J Nutr Biochem 13:636–644
Williams MJA, Sutherland WHF, McCormick MP, Yeoman DJ, de Jong SA (2005) Aged garlic extract improves endothelial function in men with coronary artery disease. Phytother Res 19:314–319
Artajo LS, Romero MP, Morelló JR, Motilva MJ (2006) Enrichment of refined olive oil with phenolic compounds: evaluation of their antioxidant activity and their effect on the bitter index. J Agric Food Chem 9:6079–6088
Espín JC, García-Conesa MT, Tomás-Barberán FA (2007) Nutraceuticals: facts and fiction. Phytochemistry 68:2986–3008
Perona JS, Avella M, Botham KM, Ruiz-Gutierres V (2008) Differential modulation of hepatic very low-density lipoprotein secretion by triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins derived from different oleic-acid rich dietary oils. Br J Nutr 99:29–36
Lee SH, Shinde PL, Choi JY, Kwon IK, Lee JK, Pak SI, Cho WT, Chae BJ (2010) Effect of tannic acid supplementation on growth performance, blood hematology, iron status and faecal microflora in weanling pigs. Livest Sci 131:281–286
Mohagheghi F, Bigdeli MR, Rasoulian B, Zeinanloo AA, Khoshbaten A (2010) Dietary virgin olive oil reduces blood brain barrier permeability, brain edema, and brain injury in rats subjected to ischemia-reperfusion. Sci World J 10:1180–1191
European Food Safety Authority (2011) Scientific opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to polyphenols in olive. EFSA J 9:2033
Rubió L, Valls RM, Macià A, Pedret A, Giralt M, Romero MP, de la Torre R, Covas MI, Solà R, Motilva MJ (2012) Impact of olive oil phenolic concentration on human plasmatic phenolic metabolites. Food Chem 135:2922–2929
Rubió L, Macià A, Valls RM, Pedret A, Romero MP, Solà R, Motilva MJ (2012) A new hydroxytyrosol metabolite identified in human plasma: hydroxytyrosol acetate sulfate. Food Chem 134:1132–1136
Rubió L, Farràs M, de La Torre R, Macià A, Romero MP, Valls RM, Solà R, Farré M, Fitó M, Motilva MJ (2014) Metabolite profiling of olive oil and thyme phenols after a sustained intake of two phenol-enriched olive oils by humans: identification of compliance markers. Food Res Int 65:59–68
Rubió L, Serra A, Macià A, Piñol C, Romero MP, Motilva MJ (2014) In vivo distribution and deconjugation of hydroxytyrosol phase II metabolites in red blood cells: a potential new target for hydroxytyrosol. J Funct Foods 10:139–143
Oliveras-López MJ, Berná G, Jurado-Ruiz E, de la Serrana HLG, Martín F (2014) Consumption of extra-virgin olive oil rich in phenolic compounds has beneficial antioxidant effects in healthy human adults. J Funct Foods 10:475–484
De Bock M, Thorstensen EB, Derraik JGB, Henderson HV, Hofman PL, Cutfield WS (2013) Human absorption and metabolism of oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol ingested as olive (Olea europaea L.) leaf extract. Mol Nutr Food Res 57:2079–2085
Visioli F, Galli C, Grande S, Colonnelli K, Patelli C, Galli G, Caruso D (2003) Hydroxytyrosol excretion differs between rats and humans and depends on the vehicle of administration. J Nutr 133:2612–2615
González-Santiago M, Fonollá J, López-Huertas E (2010) Human absorption of a supplement containing purified hydroxytyrosol, a natural antioxidant from olive oil, and evidence for its transient association with low-density lipoproteins. Pharmacol Res 61:364–370
Gordon MH, Paiva-Martins F, Almeida M (2001) Antioxidant activity of hydroxytyrosol acetate compared with that of other olive oil polyphenols. J Agric Food Chem 49:2480–2485
Habauzit V, Sacco SM, Gil-Izquierdo A, Trzeciakiewicz A, Morand C, Barron D, Pinaud S, Offord E, Horcajada MN (2011) Differential effects of two citrus flavanones on bone quality in senescent male rats in relation to their bioavailability and metabolism. Bone 49(5):1108–1116
Manach C, Morand C, Gil-Izquierdo A, Bouteloup-Demange C, Rémésy C (2003) Bioavailability in humans of the flavanones hesperedin and narirutin after the ingestion of two doses of orange juice. Eur J Clin Nutr 57:235–242
Liu Z, Hu M (2007) Natural polyphenol disposition via coupled metabolic pathways. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol 3:389–406
Clavel T, Henderson G, Alpert CA, Philippe C, Rigottier-Gois L, Doré J, Blaut M (2005) Intestinal bacterial communities that produce active estrogen-like compounds enterodiol and enterolactone in humans. Appl Environ Microbiol 71:6077–6085
Tuck KL, Hayball PJ, Stupans I (2002) Structural characterization of the metabolites of hydroxytyrosol, the principal phenolic component in olive oil, in rats. J Agric Food Chem 50:2404–2409
De la Torre R, Covas MI, Pujadas MA, Fitó M, Farré M (2006) Is dopamine behind the health benefits of red wine? Eur J Nutr 45:307–310
De la Torre R (2008) Bioavailability of olive oil phenolic compounds in humans. Inflammopharmacology 16:245–247
Tank AW, Weiner H (1979) Ethanol-induced alteration of dopamine metabolism in rat liver. Biochem Pharmacol 28:3139–3147
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to the Intramural Project (Ref. 201170E041). We thank the English expert reviewer (Dr. David James Walker) for the revision of the English style and grammar.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interests
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Domínguez-Perles, R., Auñón, D., Ferreres, F. et al. Gender differences in plasma and urine metabolites from Sprague–Dawley rats after oral administration of normal and high doses of hydroxytyrosol, hydroxytyrosol acetate, and DOPAC. Eur J Nutr 56, 215–224 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-015-1071-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-015-1071-2