Abstract
Objective: To determine the potential antioxidant effect of rutin (quercetin-3-O-β-rutinoside) supplementation.
Design: A 6-week randomized single-blind placebo controlled trial was conducted; 500 mg rutin supplement was compared to an equivalent amount of glucose placebo. In addition, a pharmacokinetic study was carried out.
Setting: The Rowett Research Institute, Aberdeen, UK.
Subjects: Eighteen healthy non-obese normocholesterolaemic female volunteers in the age range 18–48 y.
Main outcome measures: Plasma flavonoids, ascorbic acid, tocopherols and carotenoids, plasma antioxidant capacity, lymphocyte DNA damage, blood chemistry and haematology, liver function tests, urinary malondialdehyde, 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine and 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α.
Results: Eighteen volunteers completed the trial. Rutin supplementation did not induce any adverse changes in blood chemistry or indices of liver function. Plasma flavonoids were significantly elevated in the rutin-supplemented group. Endogenous oxidation of pyrimidines was significantly decreased in both rutin- and placebo-treated volunteers. There was no significant change in the level of urinary 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine or urinary malondialdehyde in either group. A linear correlation was observed between urinary malondialdehyde and urinary 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (R=0.54, P<0.01).
Conclusion: Six weeks' rutin supplementation significantly elevated the levels of three plasma flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin) but there was no significant change in plasma antioxidant status. The decrease in the level of endogenous base oxidation in lymphocyte DNA seen in both the placebo- and rutin-supplemented subjects may reflect seasonal changes in other dietary antioxidants.
Sponsorship: This work was supported by the Scottish Office Agriculture Environment and Fisheries Department and the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food. SJ Duthie is funded by the World Cancer Research Fund.
European Journal Of Clinical Nutrition (2000) 24, 774–782
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Guarantor SP Boyle
Contributor ARC was the grant holder and responsible for all stages of the study. All investigators were involved in study design. SPB was the principle investigator and responsible for method development, data collection, laboratory and statistical analysis and drafting the manuscript.ARC, SJD and SPB were involved in subsequent revision of the manuscript. VLD and SJD were responsible for sample analysis and volunteer management.
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Boyle, S., Dobson, V., Duthie, S. et al. Bioavailability and efficiency of rutin as an antioxidant: a human supplementation study. Eur J Clin Nutr 54, 774–782 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601090
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601090
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