Metabolic characteristics of catechin (monomeric flavan-3-ols), B-type linkage flavan-3-ols and A-type linkage flavan-3-ols revealed by un-targeted and targeted metabolomics
- Author(s)
- Ruonan Liu, Wanbing Chen, Qun Lu, Wolfram Weckwerth, Jun Dong, Yiqing Hu, Rui Liu
- Abstract
Flavan-3-ols are one of the most abundant dietary polyphenols, and their absorption and metabolism are vital to their healthy effect, so it is urgent to understand the metabolic characteristics of different configurations and degree of polymerizations (DPs). In this study our aim was to investigate urinary and feces excretion of flavan-3-ols to reveal their metabolism. Catechin (monomer), epicatechin-(4β-8)-catechin (B-type-dimer), epicatechin -(2β-O-7,4β-8)-catechin (A-type-dimer), and epicatechin-(4β-6)-epicatechin-(2β-O-7,4β-8)-catechin (A-type-trimer) were administered to mice. By using untargeted and targeted metabolomics it was observed that flavan-3-ols with similar DP but different linkage types were similar in metabolite recovery in urines and feces, however their constituents of metabolites were different. Phenyl-γ-valerolactones were biomarkers of catechin and B-type linkage flavan-3-ols, rather than of A-type linkage flavan-3-ols. The metabolites of A-type-dimer and A-type-trimer in urine were mainly constituted of phenolic acids. Procyanidin A1 with open C-ring was derived from A-type flavan-3-ols. In summary, phenyl-γ-valerolactones are good biomarkers for catechin and B-type linkage flavan-3-ols but not A-type linkage flavan-3-ols.
- Organisation(s)
- Functional and Evolutionary Ecology
- External organisation(s)
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wu Han 430000, China; Wuhan Engineering Research Center of Bee Products on Quality and Safety Control, Wu Han 430000, China., College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wu Han 430000, China; Institute of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Key Laboratory of South Subtropical Fruit Biology and Genetic Resource Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Science and Technology Research on Fruit Trees, Guangzhou 510640, China; Wuhan Engineering Research Center of Bee Products on Quality and Safety Control, Wu Han 430000, Chi, College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wu Han 430000, China; Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology (Huazhong Agricultural University), Ministry of education, Wu Han 430000, China; Wuhan Engineering Research Center of Bee Products on Quality and Safety Control, Wu Han 430000, China., Institute for Environment and Safety, Wuhan Academy of Agricultural Science, Wu Han 430070, China., College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wu Han 430000, China; Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology (Huazhong Agricultural University), Ministry of education, Wu Han 430000, China; Wuhan Engineering Research Center of Bee Products on Quality and Safety Control, Wu Han 430000, China; Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture in Central China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Wu Han 430000, China. Electronic address: liurui@mail.hzau.edu.cn.
- Journal
- Food Research International
- Volume
- 217
- Pages
- 116357
- ISSN
- 0963-9969
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2025.116357
- Publication date
- 10-2025
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 303009 Nutritional sciences
- Keywords
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/1a7bea64-f5cd-4d03-bd96-3a52a142764c