ABSORPTION AND EXCRETION OF CONJUGATED FLAVONOLS, INCLUDING QUERCETIN-4'-O-BETA-GLUCOSIDE AND ISORHAMNETIN-4'-O-BETA-GLUCOSIDE BY HUMAN VOLUNTEERS AFTER THE CONSUMPTION OF ONIONS

Flavonols are polyphenols found ubiquitously in plants and plant-produ cts. Flavonols, particularly quercetin, are potent antioxidants in vit ro and their intake has been associated inversely with the incidence o f coronary heart disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the accumulation in plasma and excretion in urine of flavonol glucosides following ingestion of lightly fried onions. Five healthy volunteers f ollowed a low-flavonoid diet for 3 days. On day 4, after an overnight fast, subjects were given 300 g of lightly fried yellow onions which c ontain conjugates of quercetin and isorhamnetin, including quercetin-3 ,4'-diO-beta-glucoside, isorhamnetin-4'-O-beta-glucoside and quercetin -4'-O-beta-glucoside. Blood collection was carried out at 0 min, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 24 h after the supplement. In addition, subje cts collected all their urine for 24 h following the onion supplement. Isorhamnetin-4'-O-beta-glucoside and quercetin-4'-O-beta-glucoside ac cumulated in plasma with maximum levels, defined as proportion of inta ke, of 10.7 +/- 2.6% and 0.13 +/- 0.03% respectively. The time of the quercetin-4'-glucoside peak plasma concentration was 1.3 +/- 0.2 h aft er the ingestion of onions while a value of 1.8 +/- 0.7 h was obtained for isorhamnetin-4'-glucoside. Excretion in urine, as a proportion of intake, was 17.4 +/- 8.3% for isorhamnetin-4'-O-beta-glucoside and 0. 2 +/- 0.1% for quercetin-4'-O-beta-glucoside. Possible reasons for the accumulation and excretion of isorhamnetin-4'-glucoside in proportion ally much higher amounts than quercetin-4'-glucoside are discussed. It is concluded that flavonols are absorbed into the bloodstream as gluc osides and minor structural differences affect markedly both the level of accumulation and the extent to which the conjugates are excreted.