Because of their health-promoting properties, flavonoids are used in feed supplements for ruminants, although scientific evidence for their efficacy in vivo is limited. It has been shown recently that bioavailability of quercetin is low after ruminal administration in cows because of degradation by the ruminal microbiota. It is unknown whether quercetin could be absorbed from the small intestine in ruminants if degradation is prevented; therefore, we investigated the bioavailability of quercetin after duodenal administration in 6 German Holstein cows. On 88 ± 3 d in milk, each cow received equivalent doses of quercetin [9, 18, or 27 mg of quercetin equivalents (QE)/kg of body weight] either as quercetin aglycone (QA) or as its glucorhamnoside rutin (RU). In addition, 2 control studies with duodenal administration of NaCl solution (0.9%) were conducted per cow to examine concentrations of flavonoids in plasma during regular feeding. Blood samples were collected at defined time intervals over a period of 24h before and after administration of the test compounds. A washout period of 2d was applied between the runs to avoid possible carryover effects. Concentrations of plasma quercetin aglycone and its metabolites isorhamnetin, tamarixetin, and kaempferol were measured after treatment with glucuronidase/sulfatase by HPLC with fluorescence detection. After administration of RU, levels of plasma quercetin did not increase above baseline, irrespective of dose administered. After duodenal administration of QA, the plasma concentration of QA and its methylated metabolites clearly increased above baseline. The maximal plasma concentrations of total flavonols (about 2h after application) increased in a dose-dependent manner but showed high interindividual variability (range 368.8 to 983.3 nmol/L at 27 mg of QE/kg of body weight) but peak time did not differ. Preadministration baseline values of total flavonols were reached again 3 to 4h after QA administration. The bioavailability of quercetin and its metabolites, as measured by the area under the concentration-time curve, was affected by the quercetin source applied, whereby quercetin from RU was unavailable. Taken together, duodenal administration enhanced bioavailability of QA almost to values previously reported in pigs after oral administration of QA. In contrast to findings in monogastrics or after oral administration in cows, quercetin from RU seems to be unavailable when administered duodenally.
Quercetin has been shown to be a potent antioxidant, acts hepatoprotectively, and affects glucose and lipid metabolism in monogastrics. If this is also true in ruminants, quercetin could be beneficial in periparturient high-yielding dairy cows by ameliorating the negative effects of free radical formation and reducing the severity of liver lipidosis and ketosis. In a first attempt to evaluate effects of a long-term quercetin treatment, we intraduodenally administered twice daily 18 mg of quercetin (Q)/kg of body weight to 5 late-lactation (215d in milk) dairy cows over a period of 28 d. Frequent blood samples were taken before and during administration to determine plasma concentrations of flavonols and metabolites. Before and after 1 and 4 wk of Q administration, glycogen and fat content as well as mRNA expression of selected genes were measured in liver biopsies. Furthermore, euglycemic, hyperinsulinemic, and hyperglycemic clamp studies were conducted before and after 2 wk of Q administration. During the experiment, dry matter intake and most other zootechnical data remained unchanged. Milk protein content was increased in wk 2 and 4 of Q administration compared with basal values, whereas fat and lactose contents of milk remained unchanged. Plasma nonesterified fatty acids, γ-glutamyl transferase, cholesterol, glutamate dehydrogenase, triglyceride, and albumin concentrations, as well as liver fat and glycogen concentrations, were not affected by Q supplementation. Plasma glucose and β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations in plasma decreased and increased, respectively, under the influence of quercetin. During hyperglycemic clamp conditions, the relative increase of plasma insulin was higher after 2 wk of Q administration, and a tendency for an increased rQUICKI (revised quantitative insulin sensitivity check index) was observed. The relative mRNA expression levels of selected genes related to glucose metabolism, fat metabolism, and antioxidative status were not altered after 1 or 4 wk of Q supplementation. In conclusion, the effects on insulin release and sensitivity support the assumption that administration of Q could have positive effects on the metabolic adaption of high-yielding cows to early lactation. The increase of milk protein content in response to Q supplementation needs to be verified.
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