Pelargonidin is absorbed and metabolized differently than cyanidin after marionberry consumption in pigs.

Weaning pigs (7.9 +/- 1.7 kg) were fed a freeze-dried powder of marionberry (MB) by stomach tube to study the absorption and metabolism of anthocyanins. Four major anthocyanins (ACNs) were found in MB: cyanidin-3-glucoside (Cy-3-glc, 78%), cyanidin-3-rutinoside (Cy-3-rutin, 20%), pelargonidin-3-glucoside (Pg-3-glc, 0.4%), and 1 unknown acylated cyanidin-based ACN (UACy, 1.5%). In the urine, the 4 original ACNs and 11 metabolites were identified and quantified. The main metabolites were glucuronidated and/or methylated forms of the original anthocyanins. Total recovery of the 4 original ACNs plus their related metabolites was 0.087 +/- 0.034% for Cy-3-glc, 0.084 +/- 0.026% for Cy-3-rutin, 0.583 +/- 0.229% for Pg-3-glc and 0.036 +/- 0.011% for UACy (mean +/- SD, n = 3), respectively. For the individual ACNs, the amount of metabolites recovered from Cy-3-rutin was lower than that of the original intact Cy-3-rutin, whereas the amounts of metabolites from Cy-3-glc and Pg-3-glc in the urine were much higher than their original forms. In pig plasma, the 2 original ACNs, Cy-3-glc and Cy-3-rutin, and a trace of 1 metabolite (cyanidin monoglucuronide) were detected. The plasma concentration:dose ratio of Cy-3-rutin was higher than that of Cy-3-glc. Different aglycones and/or sugar moieties may influence the absorption and metabolism of ACNs. Cy-3-glc and Cy-3-rutin had similar apparent excretion rates relative to dose, whereas Pg-3-glc had a much higher total urinary excretion than cyanidin-based anthocyanins. Most of Cy-3-glc and Pg-3-glc were excreted in the form of metabolites, whereas most of the Cy-3-rutin was excreted in its original unmetabolized form. Urinary recovery of the acylated anthocyanin was lower than that of nonacylated anthocyanins.