Journal
FOOD CHEMISTRY
Volume 331, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.127363
Keywords
Rhubarb anthraquinones; Colonic toxicities; Melanosis coli; Rhein accumulation; Apoptosis; Autophagy
Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [81973452]
- Scientific Research Foundation of Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory [2018SZS-41]
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Rhubarb is a popular food in Europe with laxative properties attributed to anthraquinones. Long term usage of rhubarb anthraquinones has been linked to colonic toxicity, including the formation of melanosis coli, which is associated with increased risk of colon cancer. The major purgative anthraquinone in rhubarb is thought to be sennoside A, which is metabolised by colonic microflora. Here, we sought to identify the toxic metabolite responsible for melanosis coli in rats dosed with rhubarb anthraquinones for up to 90 days. Three metabolites were detected in rat faeces using HPLC. Of these, rhein was identified as the metabolite that accumulated most over time. Fecal flora from treated rats were capable of greater biotransformation of sennoside A to rhein compared to that from control rats. Cell culture experiments suggested that apoptosis and autophagy induced by rhein is the likely mechanism of chronic toxicity of rhubarb anthraquinones.
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