Table 5.
Metabolites excreted in urine (from 0 to 24 h) by healthy volunteers after consumption of the flavanol-rich soluble cocoa product (CC-PP) containing 68.25 mg of flavanols.
| Metabolite | Basal (µmol) | 0–4 h (µmol) | 4–8 h (µmol) | 8–12 h (µmol) | 12–24 h (µmol) | Total (µmol) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intestinal Absorption | Epicatechin-3′-glucuronide | N.D. | 0.958 ± 0.272 | 0.695 ± 0.190 | <L.Q. | <L.Q. | 1.653 ± 0.462 * |
| Epicatechin-3′-methoxy-glucuronide | N.D. | 0.121 ± 0.036 | <L.Q. | <L.Q. | N.D. | 0.121 ± 0.036 * | |
| Epicatechin-3′-sulfate | N.D. | 3.627 ± 0.797 | 3.572 ± 0.662 | 0.158 ± 0.038 | <L.Q. | 7.357 ± 1.523 * | |
| Epicatechin-methoxy-sulfate (isomer 1) | N.D. | 8.642 ± 1.434 | 3.277 ± 0.644 | 0.330 ± 0.095 | 0.232 ± 0.070 | 12.481 ± 2.243 * | |
| Epicatechin-methoxy-sulfate (isomer 2) | N.D. | 0.566 ± 0.152 | 0.557 ± 0.120 | 0.077 ± 0.021 | <L.Q. | 1.200 ± 0.293 * | |
| Epicatechin-methoxy-sulfate (isomer 3) | N.D. | 1.702 ± 0.243 | 0.652 ± 0.148 | <L.Q. | <L.Q. | 2.354 ± 0.402 * | |
| Total—intestinal absorption | N.D. | 15.616 ± 2.934 | 8.753 ±1.764 | 0.565 ± 0.154 | 0.232 ± 0.070 | 25.166 ± 4.959 * | |
| Colonic Absorption | DHPVL | <L.Q. | <L.Q. | 0.628 ± 0.087 | 0.174 ± 0.029 | 0.282 ± 0.082 | 1.084 ± 0.199 * |
| HPVL | N.D. | <L.Q. | 0.104 ± 0.041 | <L.Q. | <L.Q. | 0.104 ± 0.041 * | |
| HDHPVA | N.D. | <L.Q. | <L.Q. | <L.Q. | <L.Q. | <L.Q. | |
| HPVL-4′-glucuronide | <L.Q. | <L.Q. | 0.330 ± 0.111 | 0.550 ± 0.015 | 0.081 ± 0.025 | 0.961 ± 0.151 * | |
| HPVL-3′-glucuronide | <L.Q. | <L.Q. | 1.802 ± 0.567 | 0.274 ± 0.060 | 0.282 ± 0.130 | 2.358 ± 0.766 * | |
| HPVL-sulfate | 0.332 ± 0.164 | 1.965 ± 0.636 | 15.979 ± 2.963 | 5.386 ± 0.934 | 7.656 ± 2.125 | 31.318 ± 6.822 * | |
| PVL-methoxy-glucuronide | <L.Q. | <L.Q. | 0.340 ± 0.074 | 0.084 ± 0.014 | 0.131 ± 0.046 | 0.555 ± 0.134 * | |
| PVL-methoxy-sulfate | N.D. | <L.Q. | 0.177 ± 0.036 | <L.Q. | <L.Q. | 0.177 ± 0.047 * | |
| PVL-3′glucuronide | <L.Q. | 0.108 ± 0.045 | 0.521 ± 0.191 | 0.179 ± 0.063 | 0.508 ± 0.349 | 1.316 ± 0.648 | |
| PVL-3′-sulfate | <L.Q. | 0.651 ± 0.389 | 4.188 ± 1.535 | 1.223 ± 0.373 | 1.690 ± 0.572 | 7.752 ± 2.868 * | |
| HHPVA-glucuronide | N.D. | <L.Q. | 0.714 ± 0.088 | 0.087 ± 0.019 | 0.251 ± 0.075 | 1.052 ± 0.182 * | |
| HHPVA-sulfate | 0.089 ± 0.032 | 0.584 ± 0.223 | 5.018 ± 1.090 | 1.798 ± 0.376 | 1.987 ± 0.566 | 9.476 ± 2.287 * | |
| Total—colonic absorption | 0.421 ± 0.196 | 3.308 ± 1.293 | 29.801 ± 6.783 | 9.755 ± 1.883 | 12.868 ± 3.970 | 56.153 ± 14.145 * | |
| Other microbial metabolites | 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylpropionic acid | 0.213 ± 0.031 | 0.256 ± 0.027 | 0.238 ± 0.028 | 0.109 ± 0.016 | 0.301 ± 0.029 | 1.117 ± 0.131 |
| 3-Methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid | 0.077 ± 0.032 | 0.175 ± 0.054 | <L.Q. | <L.Q. | 0.199 ± 0.052 | 0.461 ± 0.138 | |
| Hydroxyphenylpropionic acid | 0.074 ± 0.013 | 0.350 ± 0.038 | 0.356 ± 0.076 | 0.140 ± 0.041 | 0.284 ± 0.075 | 1.204 ± 0.243 | |
| 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic acid | 0.109 ± 0.015 | 0.751 ± 0.057 | 0.556 ± 0.096 | 0.198 ± 0.037 | 0.539 ± 0.196 | 2.153 ± 0.401 | |
| 3-Methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid | 0.198 ± 0.071 | 0.188 ± 0.026 | 0.124 ± 0.050 | <L.Q. | 0.138 ± 0.016 | 0.648 ± 0.178 | |
| Hydroxyphenylacetic acid | 0.585 ± 0.070 | 0.631 ± 0.140 | 0.678 ± 0.231 | 0.434 ± 0.070 | 0.534 ± 0.143 | 2.862 ± 0.654 | |
| Ferulic acid | <L.Q. | 0.137 ± 0.092 | 0.150 ± 0.094 | 0.151 ± 0.094 | 0.312 ± 0.290 | 0.750 ± 0.570 | |
| Isoferulic acid | <L.Q. | 0.164 ± 0.044 | 0.160 ± 0.066 | 0.152 ± 0.094 | 0.210 ± 0.152 | 0.686 ± 0.356 | |
| Protocatechuic acid | 0.088 ± 0.014 | 0.105 ± 0.016 | 0.113 ± 0.020 | 0.095 ± 0.040 | 0.127 ± 0.015 | 0.528 ± 0.105 * | |
| Hydroxyhippuric acid | 0.871 ± 0.264 | 0.789 ± 0.100 | 0.579 ± 0.096 | 0.328 ± 0.063 | 0.987 ± 0.193 | 3.554 ± 0.716 | |
| Hydroxyhippuric acid | 0.086 ± 0.013 | 0.090 ± 0.009 | 0.082 ± 0.009 | 0.075 ± 0.063 | 0.129 ± 0.017 | 0.462 ± 0.111 | |
| Hidroxybenzoic acid | 0.212 ± 0.037 | 0.396 ± 0.060 | 0.298 ± 0.036 | 0.172 ± 0.063 | 0.302 ± 0.169 | 1.380 ± 0.365 | |
| Total other microbial metabolites | 2.513 ± 0.560 | 4.032 ± 0.663 | 3.334 ± 0.802 | 1.854 ± 0.581 | 4.062 ± 1.347 | 15.805 ± 3.968 | |
| INTESTINAL + COLONIC METABOLITES | 0.421 ± 0.196 | 18.924 ± 4.227 | 38.554 ± 8.547 | 10.320 ± 2.037 | 13.100 ± 4.040 | 81.319 ± 19.104 |
HDHPVA: 4-hydroxy-5-(3′,4′-dihydroxyphenyl)valeric acid; DHPVL: 5-(3′,4′-dihydroxyphenyl)-γ-valerolactone; HPVL: 5-(3′-hydroxyphenyl)-γ-valerolactone; PVL: 5-phenyl-γ-valerolactone. * Significant differences respect to CC-PP intervention was observed based on non-parametric Wilcoxon test at p < 0.05. Values represent mean ± standard deviation (n = 13). N.D.: not detected; <L.Q. lower than quantification limit.