Natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES): A strategy to improve the bioavailability of blueberry phenolic compounds in a ready-to-use extract

What if a green, eco-friendly solvent could more than double your body's ability to absorb the health-boosting compounds in blueberries? Scientists have found that nature's own mixture might just change how we deliver plant nutrients.

Traditional extraction of plant phytochemicals often relies on conventional organic solvents that carry environmental and toxicity drawbacks. Enter Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents, or NADES, which offer a brilliant green alternative. Researchers investigated whether a ready-to-use blueberry extract obtained using a specific NADES—made of choline chloride, glycerol, and citric acid—could alter the pharmacokinetic profile of phenolic compounds compared to a standard organic solvent extract.

Using Wistar rats as a model and advanced LC-DAD-MS/MS analysis, the team tracked what happened in the blood and cecal feces after a single dose. The results were striking. The NADES-based extract boosted the bioavailability of anthocyanins by an impressive 140% compared to the conventional organic solvent extract.

Digestion tests revealed part of the secret. The NADES formulation improved the stability of these phenolic compounds during in vitro digestion by successfully delaying gastric chyme neutralization. Ultimately, this points to a powerful dual benefit: NADES is not only a greener extraction method, but also a ready-to-use vehicle that actively enhances the oral absorption of bioactive compounds.

Key Points

• NADES increased anthocyanin bioavailability by 140%
• Improved phenolic stability during in vitro digestion
• Acts as a ready-to-use oral absorption vehicle