Metabolism of homoorientin by human intestinal bacteria.

As a part of our studies on the metabolism of bioactive compounds from oriental medicines by intestinal flora, homoorientin, a C-glycosylflavonoid, was anaerobically incubated with a human intestinal bacterial mixture. Homoorientin was transformed to 6-C-glucosyleriodictyol, (+/-)-eriodictyol, luteolin, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylpropionic acid, and phloroglucinol. A novel cleavage of the C-glycosyl bond was discovered for the first time by using intestinal bacteria.