Thiamine absorption in the rat. IV. Effects of caffeic acid (3,4-dihydroxycinnamic acid) upon absorption and active transport of thiamine.

The effects upon thiamine absorption in-vitro and in-vivo by caffeic acid (a thiamine antagonist isolated from bracken) was studied, partly using 14C-thiamine. It was again shown that caffeic acid reduced the quantity of thiochrome positive thiamine, dependant upon the concentration ratio caffeic acid/thiamine. Caffeic acid was able to pass across the intestinal wall and to exert its antithiamine effect in the serosal incubation fluid. When caffeic acid was present in the mucosal fluid the amount of thiochrome positive thiamine passed to the serosal side was diminished according to the mucosal caffeic acid concentration. In-vitro studies with 14C-thiamine revealed, however, that thiamine modified and turned into a thiochrome negative form by caffeic acid was absorbed similarly to unaffected thiamine. Active transport in-vitro of thiamine was significantly inhibited by the presence of caffeic acid.