Radiosynthesis of ¹²³I-labeled hesperetin for biodistribution study of orally administered hesperetin

The purpose of this study is to synthesize ¹²³I-labeled hesperetin and to investigate its in vivo behavior. The optimized labeling condition provided two isomers of ¹²³I-labeled hesperetin with high radiochemical yields and radiochemical purities. Both ¹²³I-labeled products were orally administered to normal ICR mice, and the initial result showed that most of ¹²³I activity was detected in the stomach and the intestines. A part of ¹²³I-labeled hesperetin was absorbed from the small intestine to bloodstream and then it was distributed in normal organs. The results in the present study provided an efficient radiolabeling method of flavonoid and quantitative organ distribution of orally administered hesperetin.