Advances in metabolism of natural flavonoid glycosides / 中草药

ABSTRACT

Flavonoid glycosides (FGs) are secondary metabolites of many plants widely found in nature, and exhibit significant biological activities, such as anticancer, antioxidant and antimicrobial. According to the glycosidic bonds, FGs are divided into flavonoid O-glycosides and flavonoid C-glycosides. The main metabolic processes of FGs in vivo were specific hydrolysis in the gastrointestinal tract and glucuronidation in liver. Glucose, xylose, rhamnose and other glycosyl groups were hydrolyzed to produce secondary glycosides or aglycones in the gastrointestinal tract that were absorbed into blood, and then further glucuronidation and methylation metabolites are mainly produced by phase II metabolism in liver. This article reviews the metabolism in vivo and biotransformation in vitro of some typical natural flavonoid glycosides exited in Chinese materia medica (CMMs), such as flavonoid O-glycosides in Epimedii Folium, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Scutellariae Radix, Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, and Cirsii Japonici Herba, and flavonoid C-glycosides in Anemarrhenae Rhizoma and Puerariae Lobatae Radix. The investigation of the metabolisms of FGs in vivo is helpful for the clarification of the effective ingredients in CMMs, which will provide the basis for new drugs development based on metabolites in vivo.