ABSORPTION OF DIETARY QUERCETIN GLYCOSIDES AND QUERCETIN IN HEALTHY ILEOSTOMY VOLUNTEERS

Quercetin is a dietary antioxidant that prevents oxidation of low-dens ity lipoproteins in vitro. Intake of quercetin was inversely associate d with coronary heart disease mortality in elderly Dutch men. However, the extent of absorption of quercetin in humans is unclear. The aim o f this study was to quantify absorption of various forms of quercetin. Nine healthy ileostomy subjects were studied, to avoid losses caused by colonic bacteria. They followed a quercetin-free diet for 12 d; on days 4, 8, and 12 they received a supplement of fried onions at breakf ast (rich in quercetin glucosides) equivalent to 89 mg aglycone, pure quercetin rutinoside (the major quercetin compound in tea) equivalent to 100 mg aglycone, or 100 mg pure quercetin aglycone, in random order . Subsequently, participants collected ileostomy effluent and urine fo r 13 h. In vitro incubations of quercetin or its glycosides with gastr ointestinal fluids showed minimal degradation. Absorption of quercetin , defined as oral intake minus ileostomy excretion and corrected for 1 4% degradation within the ileostomy bag, was 52 +/- 15% for quercetin glucosides from onions, 17 +/- 15% for quercetin rutinoside, and 24 +/ - 9% for quercetin aglycone. Mean excretion of quercetin or its conjug ates in urine was 0.5% of the amount absorbed; quercetin excretion in urine was negatively correlated with excretion in ileostomy effluent ( r = -0.78, n = 27). We conclude that humans absorb appreciable amounts of quercetin and that absorption is enhanced by conjugation with gluc ose.