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Updated: Jul 17, 2025

Isolation and Analysis of Traceable and Functionalized Extracellular Vesicles from the Plasma and Solid Tissues
Published on: October 17, 2022
Role of Extracellular Vesicles in Absorption and Functional Mechanisms of Quercetin
Akari Ishisaka1,2, Ryosuke Sugimoto1, Haruka Marumo1
1Department of Food Science and Nutrition, School of Human Science and Environment, University of Hyogo, 1-1-12, Shinzaike-Honcho, Himeji, Hyogo, 670-0092, Japan.
Scope:
Quercetin (QUE), a phytochemical found in various plant foods, has been shown to have a variety of physiological activities in vivo, though biological sites where it has activities and the mechanisms of transport have not been fully elucidated.
Methods And Results:
In the present study, intracellular uptake of QUE into HT-29 human colon adenocarcinoma cells is found to result in spontaneous release of extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are subsequently embedded with QUE. In addition, QUE-embedded EVs are detected in serum of QUE-administered Sprague-Dawley rats. Interestingly, the rate of cellular uptake of QUE-encapsulated EVs (EV-QUE) into RAW264.7 macrophages is markedly higher than that of free QUE. Moreover, EV-QUE suppresses lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide at a lower concentration than free QUE.
Conclusion:
The present findings suggest that QUE may be embedded in EVs in the gastrointestinal tract, then become absorbed and enter the bloodstream to exhibit biological activities.
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