Anthocyanins represent the main flavonoid pigments in red grape and wine, in red berries, and in many other fruits and vegetables and are widespread in the human diet. After ingestion, these complex, hydrophilic compounds quickly appear as intact molecules in the plasma. This study investigated their presence in the brain of anesthetized rats that received 8 mg/kg of body weight of a pure anthocyanin mixture extracted from Vitis vinifera grapes. The mixture was maintained in the stomach for 10 min. After this time, intact anthocyanins were detected by HPLC-DAD-MS not only in the plasma (176.4 +/- 50.5 ng/mL, mean +/- SEM) but also in the brain (192.2 +/- 57.5 ng/g). These results demonstrate for the first time that grape pigments can reach the mammalian brain within minutes from their introduction into the stomach.
