| Abstract
| - The effects of the phenolic compounds catechin (Cat), quercetin (Qer), and resveratrol (Res) presentin red wine on early atherosclerosis were studied in hamsters. Hamsters (n = 32) were divided into4 groups of 8 and fed an atherogenic diet for 12 weeks. They received by force-feeding 7.14 mL/(kgof body wt·day) Cat, Qer, or Res in water [2.856 mg/(kg of body wt·day) for Cat and 0.1428 mg/(kgof body wt·dday) for Qer and Res], mimicking a moderate consumption of alcohol-free red wine(equivalent to that supplied by the consumption of about two glasses of red wine per meal for a 70kg human), or water as control. Plasma cholesterol concentration was lower in groups that consumedphenolics than in controls. The increase in plasma apolipoprotein (Apo) A1 concentration was mainlydue to Cat (26%) and Qer (22%) and to a lesser extent, but nonsignificantly, Res (19%). Apo-B wasnot affected. Plasma antioxidant capacity was not improved, and there was no sparing effect onplasma vitamins A and E. Plasma iron and copper concentrations were not modified nor were liversuper oxide dismutase and catalase activities. A sparing effect of Qer on liver glutathione peroxidaseactivity appeared, whereas Cat and Res exhibited a smaller effect. Aortic fatty streak area wassignificantly reduced in the groups receiving Cat (84%) or Qer (80%) or Res (76%) in comparisonwith the controls. These findings demonstrate that catechin, quercetin, and resveratrol at nutritionaldoses prevent the development of atherosclerosis through several indirect mechanisms. Keywords: Red wine; catechin; quercetin; resveratrol; atherosclerosis; hamsters
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