Digestion stability and evaluation of the metabolism and transport of olive oil phenols in the human small-intestinal epithelial Caco-2/TC7 cell line

The aims of this study were to investigate (i) the metabolism of olive oil phenolics by intestinal epithelial cells and (ii) their transport across epithelial cell monolayers. The various conjugates and derivatives produced by the intestinal epithelial cells were identified following separation by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC), using a combination of UV/visible spectra, mass spectrometry and specific enzyme treatments (β-glucuronidase and aryl-suphatase). Limited metabolism of olive oil phenolics was observed using Caco-2/Tc7 cells as a model of the human intestinal epithelium, and the methyslated conjugates were the major metabolites detected. The results of the transport rate data for phenols and their metabolites to the apical, cellular, and basolateral compartments after apical loading of the phenol at 100 μM showed a time-dependent efflux of various free and conjugated forms of phenols.