Peter J. Curtis

Diets rich in berries provide health benefits, however, the contribution of berry phytochemicals to the human metabolome is largely unknown. The present study aimed to establish the impact of berry phytochemicals on the human metabolome. A “systematic review strategy” was utilized to characterize the phytochemical composition of the berries most commonly consumed in the USA; (poly)phenols, primarily anthocyanins, comprised the majority of reported plant secondary metabolites. A reference standard library and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) quantitative metabolomics methodology were developed and applied to serum/plasma samples from a blueberry and a strawberry intervention, revealing a diversity of benzoic, cinnamic, phenylacetic, 3-(phenyl)propanoic and hippuric acids, and benzyldehydes. 3-Phenylpropanoic, 2-hydroxybenzoic, and hippuric acid were highly abundant (mean > 1 µM). Few metabolites at concentrations above 100 nM changed significantly in either intervention. Significant intervention effects (p < 0.05) were observed for plasma/serum 2-hydroxybenzoic acid and hippuric acid in the blueberry intervention, and for 3-methoxyphenylacetic acid and 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid in the strawberry intervention. However, significant within-group effects for change from baseline were prevalent, suggesting that high inter-individual variability precluded significant treatment effects. Berry consumption in general appears to cause a fluctuation in the pools of small molecule metabolites already present at baseline, rather than the appearance of unique berry-derived metabolites, which likely reflects the ubiquitous nature of (poly)phenols in the background diet.

n-3 Fatty acids are associated with better cardiovascular and cognitive health. However, the concentration of EPA, DPA and DHA in different plasma lipid pools differs and factors influencing this heterogeneity are poorly understood. Our aim was to evaluate the association of oily fish intake, sex, age, BMI andAPOEgenotype with concentrations of EPA, DPA and DHA in plasma phosphatidylcholine (PC), NEFA, cholesteryl esters (CE) and TAG. Healthy adults (148 male, 158 female, age 20–71 years) were recruited according toAPOEgenotype, sex and age. The fatty acid composition was determined by GC. Oily fish intake was positively associated with EPA in PC, CE and TAG, DPA in TAG, and DHA in all fractions (P≤0·008). There was a positive association between age and EPA in PC, CE and TAG, DPA in NEFA and CE, and DHA in PC and CE (P≤0·034). DPA was higher in TAG in males than females (PPAPOEgenotype×sex interactions were observed: theAPOE4 allele associated with higher EPA in males (P=0·002), and there was also evidence for higher DPA and DHA (P≤0·032). In conclusion, EPA, DPA and DHA in plasma lipids are associated with oily fish intake, sex, age, BMI andAPOEgenotype. Such insights may be used to better understand the link between plasma fatty acid profiles and dietary exposure and may influence intake recommendations across population subgroups.

Background: There is much speculation with regard to the potential cardioprotective benefits of equol, a microbial-derived metabolite of the isoflavon

Background: Although many randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have examined the effects of the n–3 (ω-3) fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5n

Background: Epidemiologic data suggest inverse associations between citrus flavanone intake and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, insufficie

Scope: Numerous studies feeding anthocyanin‐rich foods report limited bioavailability of the parent anthocyanins. The present study explores the identity and concentration of the phenolic metabolites of anthocyanins in humans.Methods and results: Anthocyanin metabolites were quantified in samples collected from a previously conducted 12‐wk elderberry intervention study in healthy post‐menopausal women. Individual 1‐, 2‐ and 3‐h post‐bolus urine samples and pooled plasma samples following acute (single bolus) and chronic (12‐wk supplementation) anthocyanin consumption (500 mg/day) were analysed using HPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS. Twenty‐eight anthocyanin metabolites were identified in urine and 21 in plasma (including sulfates of vanillic, protocatechuic and benzoic acid). Phenolic metabolites reached peak concentrations of 1237 nM in plasma, while anthocyanin conjugates only reached concentrations of 34 nM. Similarly, in urine, phenolic metabolites were detected at concentrations of 33 185 ± 2549 nM/mM creatinine, while anthocyanin conjugates reached concentrations of 548 ± 219 nM/mM creatinine. There was no evidence that chronic exposure had any impact on either the profile or quantity of metabolites recovered relative to acute exposure.Conclusion: An extensive range of phenolic metabolites of anthocyanin was identified following elderberry consumption in humans, including 11 novel metabolites, which were identified at much higher concentrations than their parent compounds.