Resveratrol analogue shows nutraceutical promise

By Nathan Gray

- Last updated on GMT

Resveratrol analogue shows nutraceutical promise

Related tags Nutrition

A naturally occurring resveratrol analogue known as oxyresveratrol could provide industry with better water solubility whilst maintaining potential health benefits, say researchers.

The study, published in the Journal of Functional Foods​, investigated the pharmacokinetic profiles of oxyresveratrol in comparison to resveratrol in rats, after noting that the resveratrol analogue has emerged as an ‘interesting dietary polyphenol’ for exploration in recent years. 

However, the team noted that although oxyresveratrol (OXY) demonstrated ‘great potential’ in pre-clinical studies, its application as nutraceutical or functional food ingredient has never been attempted in humans. 

Led by Wan Chen from the National University of Singapore, the authors suggested that issues relating to pharmacokinetics and bioavailability could be one of the major concerns in the development of oxyresveratrol as a functional ingredient.

In the current study, Chen and colleagues report that OXY was orally bioavailable and that repeated dosing did not lead to substantial change in oral pharmacokinetic profiles.

“As OXY possessed various health-promoting activities and was orally bioavailable, further development OXY as a nutraceutical/functional food ingredient is warranted,” ​said Chen and colleagues – noting that the improved aqueous solubility of OXY “appeared to be an advantage to apply OXY as a nutraceutical/functional food ingredient.”

Better bioavailability

Chen and his colleagues investigated the pharmacokinetic profiles of OXY in Sprague-Dawley rats that were given the polyphenol wither by intravenous or oral administration using RES as a side-by-side comparator.

“To further evaluate the suitability of OXY as a nutraceutical/functional food ingredient, the pharmacokinetic profiles of OXY were examined in Sprague-Dawley rats in parallel with resveratrol, the best known stilbene derivative,” ​they team added.

The authors reported that OXY showed fast oral absorption and rapid systemic elimination even when an oral suspension was given.

“If OXY was administered as a solution, OXY would be absorbed at an even faster rate and cleared from the body promptly, leading to a relatively short systemic residence; on the other hand, when a suspension was given, the absorption of OXY was rate-limited by its dissolution, resulting in a relatively longer absorption period and systemic residence,”​ explained the team.

Chen and colleagues suggested that the findings from the study will help in industry in the development of oxyresveratrol as an ingredient for nutraceuticals and functional foods.

“As OXY also possessed various health-promoting activities and its oral pharmacokinetics was comparable to resveratrol, its application as a nutraceutical/functional food ingredient appears justifiable,”​ they said.

They added that although oxyresveratrol has not been tested clinically, the fact that resveratrol displays excellent clinical safety the clinical translation of oxyresveratrol “is quite feasible.”

Source: Journal of Functional Foods
Volume 22, Pages 122–131, doi: 10.1016/j.jff.2016.01.020
“Oxyresveratrol: A bioavailable dietary polyphenol”
Authors: Wan Chen, et al

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