Florian Viton

In vivo bioavailability, absorption, excretion, and pharmacokinetics of [14C]procyanidin B2 in male rats.

Procyanidins are important biologically active compounds, but the pathway and extent of absorption and metabolism are controversial. We conducted a mass balance study to evaluate the total radioactivity excreted in urine and feces after oral administration of [14C]procyanidin B2 to male rats (n = 5). Urine and feces were collected daily from 0 to 96 h. Absolute bioavailability of 14C from [14C]procyanidin B2 was calculated as ∼82% using the values for total urinary 14C. A pharmacokinetic study measured total radioactivity in the blood (n = 9). Blood samples were collected at designated time intervals (0.5–24 h) after administration. Three treatments were used: 1) intravenous, 2) oral higher dose (21 mg/kg b.wt.), and 3) oral lower dose (10.5 mg/kg). Blood concentration of total 14C reached a maximum at ∼6 h after ingestion of [14C]procyanidin B2 (groups II and III), and area under the curve (AUC) was dependent on oral dose. After intravenous or oral administration the terminal half-lives were similar, whereas 8-fold larger values were obtained after oral dosing for total clearance and the apparent volumes of distribution. These pharmacokinetic differences explain the apparently lower 14C bioavailability (8–11%) for [14C]procyanidin calculated from blood [AUC(0–24)] values. After oral administration of [14C]procyanidin B2, 63% was excreted via urine within 4 days. The data suggest that much of the parent compound administered orally is degraded by the gut microflora before absorption and that these microbial metabolites have a different distribution from the compounds circulating after the intravenous dose.

Epicatechin B-Ring Conjugates: First Enantioselective Synthesis and Evidence for Their Occurrence in Human Biological Fluids

Herein, the first enantioselective total synthesis of a number of biologically relevant (-)-epicatechin conjugates is described. The success of this synthesis relied on (i) optimized conditions for the stereospecific cyclization step leading to the catechin C ring; on (ii) efficient conjugation reactions; and on (iii) optimized deprotection sequences. These standard compounds have been subsequently used to elucidate for the first time the pattern of (-)-epicatechin conjugates present in four different human biological fluids following (-)-epicatechin absorption.

Glycerol, an underestimated flavor precursor in the Maillard reaction.

The objective of the present work was to investigate in depth the role of glycerol in Maillard reactions and its potential to act as an active flavor precursor. Reactions using isotopically labeled compounds (various reducing sugars, proline, and glycerol) unambiguously demonstrated that, in addition to its role of solvent, glycerol actively contributes to the formation of proline-specific compounds in Maillard model systems. Additionally, rhamnose and fucose/proline/glycerol systems generated the 2-propionyl-1(3),4,5,6-tetrahydropyridines, known for their roasty, popcorn aroma. Their formation from such systems is unprecedented. The results presented here have direct implications for flavor generation during thermal processing of foods containing glycerol, which is a ubiquitous food ingredient and an underestimated flavor precursor.

Sensomics-Based Molecularization of the Taste of Pot-au-Feu, a Traditional Meat/Vegetable Broth

Targeted quantification of 49 basic taste-active molecules, followed by the calculation of dose-over-threshold (DoT) factors, and taste re-engineering experiments revealed minerals, nucleotides/nucleosides, amino acids, organic acids, and carbohydrates as the key compounds of Pot-au-Feu, a traditional broth preparation from beef cuts and vegetables. Moreover, the dipeptide carnosine was identified to be the key inducer for the white-meaty and thick-sour orosensation of the broth, next to anserine and 1-deoxy-d-fructosyl-N-β-alanyl-l-histidine, the latter of which has been identified for the first time by means of a sensory-guided fractionation. Sensory studies revealed the threshold concentration of carnosine in model broth to decrease by a factor of 5 upon nonenzymatic glycosylation to reach 4.4 mmol/L for its Amadori product 1-deoxy-d-fructosyl-N-β-alanyl-l-histidine.

Impact of Boiling Conditions on the Molecular and Sensory Profile of a Vegetable Broth

Low-pressure cooking has recently been identified as an alternative to ambient and high-pressure cooking to provide food with enhanced organoleptic properties. This work investigates the impact of the cooking process at different pressures on the molecular and sensory profile of a vegetable broth. Experimental results showed similar sensory and chemical profiles of vegetable broths when boiling at 0.93 and 1.5 bar, while an enhancement of sulfur volatile compounds correlated with a greater leek content and savory aroma was observed when boiling at low pressure (80 °C/0.48 bar). Thus, low-pressure cooking would allow preserving the most labile volatiles likely due to the lower water boiling temperature and the reduced level of oxygen. This study evidenced chemical and sensory impact of pressure during cooking and demonstrated that the flavor profile of culinary preparations can be enhanced by applying low-pressure conditions.