Affiliations: Faculty of Applied Life Sciences, Niigata University
of Pharmacy and Applied Life Sciences, 265-1, Higashijima, Niitsu 956-8603,
Japan | Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Niigata University
of Pharmacy and Applied Life Sciences, 265-1, Higashijima, Niitsu 956-8603,
Japan | Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Applied Life
Sciences, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachio-ji 192-0392, Japan | Bioscience Laboratories, Meiji Seika Kaisha, Ltdg.,
5-3-1 Chiyoda, Sakado 350-0289, Japan
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Takashi Ichiyanagi, Faculty of
Applied Life Sciences, Niigata University of Pharmacy and Applied Life
Sciences, 265-1 Higashijimi, Niitsu 956-8603, Japan. Tel.: +81 250 255 125;
Fax: +81 250 255 021; E-mail: kouji@niigata-pharm.ac.jp
Abstract: Anthocyanins, kind of flavonoids (FL) found in plants and
vegetables, are known to have varieties of physiological functions. In the present study, we examined absorption and metabolism of
delphinidin 3-O-β-D-glucoside (Dp3G) in rats. Dp3G appeared in the plasma
at 15 min after oral administration as an intact glucosidic form. The plasma
level also showed another peak at 60~min. One metabolite peak was detected in
the plasma and the structure was assigned as 4'-O-methyl Dp3G (MDp3G) by NMR
and MS. The metabolite was also identified in several tissues as a major
metabolite especially in the liver. No 3'-O-methyl Dp3G was detected in any
tissues, therefore, 4'-OH methylation is the main path of Dp3G metabolism in
rats. This finding generalized the metabolic formation of FL having pyrogallol
B ring because it has been reported that FL having catechol structure produced
3'-O-methyl-derivatives, but FL having pyrogallol structure produced
4'-O-methyl-derivatives.
