3-4-dihydroxyphenylpropionic-acid and isoferulic-acid

Hydroxycinnamic acids are a class of phenolic antioxidants found widely in dietary plants. Their biotransformation in the human organism primarily involves Phase II conjugation reactions. In this study, activities of UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) and sulfotransferases (SULTs) towards major dietary hydroxycinnamic acids (caffeic, dihydrocaffeic, dihydroferulic, ferulic and isoferulic acids) were investigated. Conjugate formation was evaluated using human liver and intestinal S9 homogenates, and in vitro characterization was carried out using recombinant human UGTs and SULTs. Analysis of the kinetics of hydroxycinnamic acid conjugation in human S9 homogenates revealed that intrinsic clearance (V(max)/K(m)) is much greater for sulfation than for glucuronidation. Assessment of activity using a panel of recombinant human SULTs showed that SULT1A1 is most active in the sulfation of caffeic, dihydrocaffeic and isoferulic acids, while SULT1E1 is most active in the sulfation of ferulic and dihydroferulic acids. Only isoferulic acid was significantly glucuronidated by human liver S9 homogenates, explained by the high activity of liver-specific UGT1A9. Studies on the kinetics of active SULTs and UGTs demonstrated a markedly lower K(m) for SULTs. To further corroborate our findings, we carried out an intervention study in healthy humans to determine the hydroxycinnamic acid conjugates in urine after consumption of hydroxycinnamate-rich coffee (200 ml). Analysis showed that sulfates are the main conjugates in urine, with the exception of isoferulic acid, which is mainly glucuronidated. These data suggest that sulfates are the predominant hydroxycinnamic acid conjugates in humans, and that SULT mediated sulfation is a major factor determining the bioavailability of hydroxycinnamic acids in vivo.

Topics: Adult; Biotransformation; Caffeic Acids; Cells, Cultured; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Cinnamates; Coumaric Acids; Diet; Female; Glucuronosyltransferase; Humans; Kinetics; Male; Sulfates; Sulfotransferases; Young Adult

A validated method was developed for the simultaneous determination of the hydroxycinnamates caffeic acid (CA), dihydrocaffeic acid (DHCA), ferulic acid (FA), dihydroferulic acid (DHFA), and isoferulic acid (IFA) in human plasma as metabolites derived from coffee consumption. The method includes a protein precipitation step prior to enzymatic hydrolysis of the conjugated metabolites (sulfate, glucuronide, and/or ester) back to their aglycone forms. After liquid-liquid extraction, the reconstituted extract was analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to negative electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry. Calibration curves were constructed from spiked human plasma samples in the range of 0-4800 nM for each of the targeted analytes. Two internal standards, 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-propionic acid (500 nM) and 1,3-dicaffeoylquinic acid (200 nM), were spiked at the beginning of the sample preparation and before analysis, respectively. Good performance data were obtained with limits of detection and quantification of the five hydroxycinnamates ranging between 1-15 nM and 3-50 nM, respectively. Within and between-days precisions were respectively calculated between 8-18% and 8-30% (at 50 nM added initially), between 6-9% and 6-12% (at 200 nM), and between 5-9% and 5-9% (at 500 nM). Precision calculated from different analysts ranged from 18% to 44% (at 50 nM), from 8% to 16% (at 200 nM), and from 4% to 8% (at 500 nM). Using this method, we determined plasma levels in humans and measured the efficiency of deconjugation using our enzymatic cocktail.

Topics: Area Under Curve; Caffeic Acids; Chromatography, Liquid; Cinnamates; Coumaric Acids; Humans; Hydrolysis; Kinetics; Limit of Detection; Reproducibility of Results; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; Tandem Mass Spectrometry