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Xanthohumol (Xn) has well-established chemopreventive potential in vitro. In order to carry out in vivo bioavailability and tissue distribution studies,( 14)C-labelled Xn was produced by biolabelling. Supplying hop sprouts with 5 mCi [U-(14)C]glucose led to incorporation of (14)C into Xn. Delivering the radioactive precursor at once resulted in Xn with a specific activity of 318 microCi.mmol(-1); if however the amount was supplied in aliquots over 4 days a specific activity of only 53.1 microCi.mmol(-1) Xn was obtained.

Biolabelling conditions in hop cones of xanthohumol (Xn) were studied by feeding [U-13C]glucose, [1-13C]glucose, [ring-13C6]phenylalanine, [2-13C]sodium acetate or [2-13C]malonic acid as biosynthetic precursors to hop sprouts. Quantitative 13C-NMR spectroscopic analysis of the resulting labelled Xn showed different labelling patterns and ratios depending on precursor and feeding concentrations. The highest incorporation rate was achieved with [U-13C]glucose (9.41 +/- 1.22 %). With [ring-13C6]phenylalanine only ring B was labelled (3.51 +/- 0.08 % enrichment). [2-13C]sodium acetate and [2-13C]malonic acid allowed labelling of the A-ring (1.82 +/- 0.02 % and 1.74 +/- 0.03 % enrichment). The specific labelling pattern of the prenyl side chain with [1-13C]glucose (2.36 +/- 0.27 % enrichment) confirmed the biosynthetic origin to be MEP pathway-derived. On the basis of these results radiolabelling of Xn will be performed for in vivo bioavailability studies.