Metabolomic approach of flavonoids and markers of bioavailability and inflammation

• Grant number: 11/01064-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: June 01, 2011
• End date: August 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Science
• Principal Investigator: Franco Maria Lajolo
• Grantee: Franco Maria Lajolo
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Lena Galvez Ranilla ; Neuza Mariko Aymoto Hassimotto ; Vanessa Moreira

Abstract

The dietary intakes of anthocyanins, a class of flavonoids, are related to a wide spectrum of the positive biological effects, including antioxidant activity, antiinflamatory activity and quimiopreventive effect. On the other hand, anthocyanins present rapid biotransformation and most is degradated by gut microflora and by thermal processing in phenolic acids, such as protocatechuic acid (APC). Thus, it is suggested that the physiological effects attributed to anthocyanins seem to be not due to the presence of the native structure, but mediated by their metabolites such as APC. Moreover, the bioavailability and physiological effects of this metabolite is still unclear. The metabolomic approach is proposed as a tool to characterize the intake of bioactive compounds and their effect on metabolism. This approach coupled with bioinformatics allows analysis of hundreds of metabolites in a broad and not limited to metabolic pathway or a specific pathological disorder, providing obtain a "fingerprint" of metabolic intake and its effect on various signaling pathways. This information may help to stablish new markers of intake of these compounds and new markers of its effects without the rigidity of a single model of study. Thus, the present project proposes the bioavailability studies and the metabolic profile characterization resulting from the oral intake of the anthocyanins and APC in an animal model, in order to identify markers of the intake of these compounds. In addition, since antiinflammatory and other biological activities is attributed to anthocyanins, the second purpose will be study the influence of APC in acute inflammatory process and on the antiproliferative activity in tumor cells, and possible alterations in metabolic profile resulting from this intake in in vitro and in vivo models. These approaches combined with other physiological parameters could help us to understand the biological action exerted by this class of compounds and make inferences between its intake and the health promotion. (AU)