Bioavailability of purple carrot anthocyanins is influenced by acylation but not plant matrix effects

Abstract

Bioavailability of anthocyanins from juiced purple carrots was investigated through a human feeding study. Ten healthy adults consumed three doses of purple carrot juice, and bioavailability was assessed by appearance of anthocyanins in plasma for 8 h after the dose. Doses were 50 mL, 150 mL, and 250 mL of purple carrot juice, containing 76.1 µmol (64.5 mg), 228.1 µmol (193.6 mg), and 380.2 µmol (322.7 mg) total anthocyanins, respectively. The peak plasma anthocyanin concentration increased significantly with increasing dose, though this increase was smaller in magnitude than the increase in dose size. Acylated anthocyanins comprised 76% of total anthocyanins in the juice, yet their bioavailability was found to be significantly less than that of nonacylated anthocyanins. Peak plasma concentration of nonacylated anthocyanins was 4‐fold higher than that for acylated anthocyanins. Because the treatments were consumed as juice, it could be discerned that the difference in bioavailability of acylated vs. nonacylated anthocyanins was not related to interaction of the anthocyanins with the plant matrix. Funded by USDA/ARS and USDA/CSREES.