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Improvement of the Intestinal Absorption of Dihydroquercetin (DHQ) by Flavonoids via Inhibiting P-Glycoprotein (P-gp)-Mediated Efflux in P-gp Overexpressed KB/MDR1 Cells and Caco-2 Monolayers

Song H, Cao W, Chen X, Peng S, Sun W, Yang X, Salah M, Farag MA et al.

Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 2026

Abstract

Effects of four flavonoid inhibitors (FIs, quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin, and flavone) at different concentrations on dynamically increasing dihydroquercetin (DHQ) uptakes and regulating P-glycoprotein (P-gp)'s mRNA and protein levels were evaluated in KB/MDR1 cells. DHQ's bidirectional transport was measured in Caco-2 monolayers. The low uptakes of DHQ were dynamically increased by four FIs (better than elacridar) in the order of quercetin > luteolin > kaempferol > flavone. Four FIs significantly increased DHQ40's uptakes in a dose-independent manner. Four FIs alone or with DHQ significantly decreased P-gp's mRNA and protein expressions. DHQ was poorly absorbed (efflux ratios >20) in Caco-2 monolayers, especially at high concentrations. Four FIs improved DHQ's absorption by significantly increasing (reversing) its influx (efflux) at most time points (1, 2, 4, and 6 h), especially for DHQ100 rather than DHQ40. Docking results explained that quercetin competitively occupies DHQ's binding site or binds to the inhibitor site of P-gp. These results were valuable for improving DHQ absorption.

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