Effects of stachyose on absorption and transportation of tea catechins in mice: possible role of Phase II metabolic enzymes and efflux transporters inhibition by stachyose

BACKGROUND: Nutritional and absorption-promoting properties of stachyose combined with tea catechins (TC) have been revealed. However, the mechanism involved in non-digestible oligosaccharides-mediated enhancement of flavonoid absorption has largely remained elusive. METHODS: This study was designed to investigate the molecular mechanism of stachyose in enhancing absorption and transportation of TC in mice. Mice were orally pre-treated with stachyose (50, 250, and 500 mg/kg·bw) for 0–8 weeks, and 1 h before sacrifice, mice were treated with TC (250 mg/kg·bw). RESULTS: Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis showed that serum concentrations of epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, and epigallocatechin gallate were dose- and time-dependently elevated with stachyose pre-treatment in mice. Furthermore, pre-treatment with stachyose in mice reduced intestinal sulfotransferase and uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase levels by 3.3–43.2% and 23.9–30.4%, relative to control mice, respectively. Moreover, intestinal P-glycoprotein and multidrug resistance-associated protein-1 contents were decreased in mice by pre-administration of stachyose in dose- and time-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first time to demonstrate that suppression of Phase II metabolic enzymes and efflux transporters of TC in the intestine can play a major role in increasing absorption of TC by stachyose feeding.