Malone, Sara Rae. The bioavailability of 90MX cranberry powder and quercetin when administered to horses. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3Q81DD3
DescriptionThe subject of this thesis was to investigate the bioavailability of a commercially available cranberry powder (90MX) from Ocean Spray® and quercetin when administered to horses. The hypothesis states that flavonols from a commercially available 90MX cranberry powder and quercetin would both be bioavailable to the horse. Bioavailability was determined by the appearance and identification of flavonols in horse plasma, urine, and/or muscle after dosing via nasogastric tube. For the first study, three healthy unfit Standardbred mares were used in a random cross-over design. They received either 200 g of 90MX powder in 2 L of water (low dose = LD), 400 g of 90MX powder dissolved in 2 L of water (high dose = HD), or 2 L of water (control = CON). For the second study, the same three mares were given 6 g of quercetin in 2 L of water. Blood, urine, and muscle samples were collected pre-dosing and at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 24 h post-dosing. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of the samples showed trace amounts of flavonols in some plasma samples, but overall there were no quantitatively significant increase flavonols found in horse urine or plasma. HPLC analysis of the muscle samples did show an increase in quercetin (Q), Q-3 arabinopyranoside (Q-3-AP), M-3 galactoside (M-3-G), Q-3 rhamnoside (Q-3-R), Q-3 arabinofuranoside (Q-3-AF), and Q-3 galactoside (Q-3-G). Peak quantities of each flavonol (µg/g) in horse muscle were Q (1.96; 5.33), Q-3-AP (0.24; 0.05), M-3-G (0.80; 0.37), Q-3-R (0.55; 0.24). Q-3-AF (0.12; 0.07), Q-3-G (2.45; 1.22) for the LD and HD, respectively. In study two, there was no quantitatively measureable quercetin in plasma, urine, or muscle samples. These data show for the first time the uptake of an ingested flavonol compound (cranberry juice) into horse muscle. This lays the foundation for further investigation into the effects of flavonols on horse muscle which has been physiologically stressed by exercise or other variables.