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. 2022 Apr 6;11(7):1060. doi: 10.3390/foods11071060

Table 1.

Polyphenol metabolites previously identified in human urine, resulting from polyphenol intake, quantified in concentrations above 1 µM. For each metabolite, only the study in which the maximum concentration was detected, and the respective experimental conditions are shown.

Polyphenol Metabolites Max. Concentration in Urine (µM) * Experimental Conditions Reference
Polyphenol Source Ingested Dose
4′-Hydroxyphenylacetic acid 406.8 Green tea 300 mL
(single dose)
[191]
Phenylacetic acid 153.3 Cocoa powder in whole milk 40 g
(single dose)
[192]
3′-Hydroxyphenylacetic acid 136.3 Quercetin 3-O-rutinoside 440 mg/24 h
(7 days)
[193]
3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid (Protocatechuic acid) 64.8 Quercetin 200 mg
(single dose)
[194]
4′-Hydroxy-3′-methoxyphenylacetic acid (homovanillic acid) 54.2 Quercetin 3-O-rutinoside 440 mg/24 h
(7 days)
[193]
4-Hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid (Vanillic acid) 53.6 5-caffeoylquinic acid 2 g/24 h
(7 days)
[193]
3-(3′,4′-Dihydroxyphenyl)propanoic acid (Dihydrocaffeic acid) 51.1 5-caffeoylquinic acid 2 g/24 h
(7 days)
[193]
4′-Hydroxy-3′-methoxycinnamic acid (Ferulic acid) 37.4 5-caffeoylquinic acid 2 g/24 h
(7 days)
[193]
3-Hydroxybenzoic acid 35.8 Black tea solids 4 g/24 h
(7 days)
[193]
Benzoic acid 31.5 Quercetin 200 mg
(single dose)
[194]
3′,4′-Dihydroxycinnamic acid (Caffeic acid) 29.5 Tablets of perilla extract 1 tablet
(single dose)
[195]
3′-Hydroxycinnamic acid 22.5 5-caffeoylquinic acid 2 g/24 h
(7 days)
[193]
2,3-Dihydroxybenzoic acid 22.5 Freeze-dried blueberry powder 22 g
(during 24 h)
[196]
4-Hydroxybenzoic acid 19.7 Cocoa powder in skimmed milk 40 g/24 h
(4 weeks)
[197]
(E)-3-(4′-Hydroxy-3′,5′-dimethoxyphenyl)prop-2-enoic acid (Sinapic acid) 13.7 Quercetin 3-O-rutinoside 440 mg/24 h
(7 days)
[193]
4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid (Syringic acid) 7.2 5-caffeoylquinic acid 2 g/24 h
(7 days)
[193]
4-Ethylphenol 7.0 Quercetin 200 mg
(single dose)
[194]
3′-Methoxycinnamic acid-4′-sulfate (Ferulic acid-sulfate) 6.4 Freeze-dried blueberry powder 22 g
(during 24 h)
[196]
2-(3′,4′-Dihydroxyphenyl)ethanol (Hydroxytyrosol) 6.1 Tyrosol (140 μg/mL) 50 mL
(single dose)
[198]
1,3,5-Trimethoxybenzene(Phloroglucinol) 5.9 (−)-epicatechin 200 mg
(single dose)
[194]
3-Methoxybenzoic acid-4-glucuronide (Vanillic acid-glucuronide) 5.7 Red grape pomace aqueous extract 250 mL
(single dose)
[199]
2′-Hydroxyhippuric acid 5.1 Black tea solids 4 g/24 h
(7 days)
[193]
4-(2′-Hydroxyethyl)-2-methoxyphenol 4.4 Olive oil with phenol extract 50 mL of 1950 mg/L
total phenols extract (single dose)
[200]
3,4,5-Trihydroxybenzoic acid (Gallic acid) 3.7 Black tea solids 4 g/24 h
(7 days)
[193]
Phenol-2-sulfate (Catechol-sulfate) 3.1 Cranberry juice 450 mL
(single dose)
[201]
3′-Methoxycinnamic acid-4′-glucuronide (Ferulic acid-glucuronide) 2.8 Freeze-dried blueberry powder 22 g
(during 24 h)
[196]
4′-Hydroxycinnamic acid (p-coumaric acid) 2.2 5-caffeoylquinic acid 2 g/24 h
(7 days)
[193]
4-Methylcatechol-O-sulfate 2.1 Freeze-dried blueberry powder 22 g
(during 24 h)
[196]
3-(4′-Hydroxyphenyl)propanoic acid-3′-sulfate 2.1 Freeze-dried blueberry powder 22 g
(during 24 h)
[196]
3-(3′-Methoxyphenyl)propanoic acid-4′-sulfate 1.8 Freeze-dried blueberry powder 22 g
(during 24 h)
[196]
3-Methoxybenzoic acid-4-sulfate (Vanillic acid-4-sulfate) 1.7 Cyanidin-3-glucoside 500 mg
(single dose)
[202]
3-Hydroxybenzoic acid-4-sulfate (Protocatechuic acid-4-sulfate 1.2 Cyanidin-3-glucoside 500 mg
(single dose)
[202]
Benzene-1,2-diol (Catechol) 1.2 Green tea 300 mL
(single dose)
[191]
4-Hydroxybenzoic acid-3-sulfate (Protocatechuic acid-3-sulfate) 1.1 Cyanidin-3-glucoside 500 mg
(single dose)
[202]

The maximum urinary concentration of polyphenol metabolites in µM was calculated using quantifications from each study, considering a mean urine volume of 1900 mL/day and a daily creatinine clearance of 92.4 mg/dL [189,190].