Complementary approaches to gauge the bioavailability and distribution of ingested berry polyphenolics

Two different strategies for investigating the likely fate, after ingestion, of natural, bioactive berry constituents (anthocyanins and other non-nutritive flavonoids) are compared. A model of the human gastrointestinal tract (TIM-1) that mimicked the biological environment from the point of swallowing and ingestion through the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum (but not the colon) was used to monitor the stability and bioaccessibility of anthocyanins from both maqui berry and wild blueberry. TIM-1 revealed that most anthocyanins were bioaccessible between the second and third hours after intake. Alternatively, biolabeled anthocyanins and other flavonoids generated in vitro from berry and grape cell cultures were administered to in vivo (rodent) models, allowing measurement and tracking of the absorption and transport of berry constituents and clearance through the urinary tract and colon. The advantages and limitations of the alternative strategies are considered.