Exosomes transport trace amounts of (poly)phenols

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Biochemistry
• Extracellular Vesicle Biology
• Pharmacokinetics

Background:

• Dietary polyphenols exhibit diverse biological activities, contributing to the health benefits of fruits and vegetables.
• While cellular uptake and mechanisms of action are partially understood, systemic circulation transport of polyphenols, beyond albumin binding, remains unclear.
• Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are implicated in intercellular communication and molecule transport.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether dietary polyphenols can be transported via extracellular vesicles.
• To quantify polyphenol and metabolite levels in circulating exosomes following dietary supplementation.

Main Methods:

• Rats were supplemented with a grape seed polyphenol extract (GSPE).
• Circulating polyphenols and their metabolites (aglycones, microbial-derived, phase II-derived) were quantified using quantitative LC-MS/MS at 3 and 7 hours post-gavage.
• Plasma exosomes were isolated using commercial ultracentrifugation and precipitation kits.

Main Results:

• Quantitative LC-MS/MS analysis revealed a very modest transport of GSPE-derived polyphenols and their metabolites in isolated plasma exosomes.
• The exosomal transport of these compounds was found to be minimal.

Conclusions:

• The study suggests that GSPE-derived polyphenols are minimally, if at all, transported by exosomes in the systemic circulation.
• This finding contributes to understanding the limited role of exosomes in the systemic transport of dietary polyphenols.