Investigating the polyphenol bioequivalence of a spray-dried blackcurrant powder with a commercial blackcurrant extract and determining the acute effect of caffeine on the polyphenol bioavailability when co-consumed with blackcurrant powder in healthy participants.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the anthocyanin bioequivalence of a spray-dried blackcurrant powder with a commercially available anthocyanin-enriched blackcurrant extract and to determine the effect of caffeine on the bioavailability of spray-dried blackcurrant anthocyanins. Co-consuming caffeine with the spray-dried blackcurant powder did not significantly affect total or monomeric anthocyanin bioavailability up to 6 hours post consumption, as indicated by similar Tmax, Cmax and AUC, compared with consuming spray-dried blackcurant powder powder alone. Comparison of intervention bioavailability profiles showed a slower absorption of anthocyanins in the anthocyanin-enriched extract group as indicated by the Tmax after treatment intake. Despite this delay, no significant differences in Cmax and AUC were observed between the three blackcurrant interventions, indicating that the extent of anthocyanin bioavailability between three treatment groups is similar. The delayed Tmax observed in the encapsulated anthocyanin-enriched extract intervention may be attributed to the time taken for the gelatine capsule to disintegrate and release the blackcurrant powder in the stomach.