Putative metabolites involved in the beneficial effects of wholegrain cereal: Nontargeted metabolite profiling approach

• Published in: Nutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases Vol. 31; no. 4; pp. 1156 - 1165
• Main Authors: Vitale, Marilena, Hanhineva, Kati, Koistinen, Ville, Auriola, Seppo, Paananen, Jussi, Costabile, Giuseppina, Della Pepa, Giuseppe, Rivellese, Angela A., Riccardi, Gabriele, Giacco, Rosalba
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 09.04.2021
• Subjects: Adult; age; Aged; biomarkers; Biomarkers - blood; cardiovascular diseases; Chromatography, Reverse-Phase; chronic diseases; Diet, Healthy; Dietary biomarker; Energy Metabolism; experimental diets; Female; grains; health effects assessments; Humans; insulin; Insulin - blood; Italy; Lipids - blood; Male; Metabolic effect; metabolic syndrome; Metabolic Syndrome - blood; Metabolic Syndrome - diagnosis; Metabolic Syndrome - diet therapy; metabolism; metabolites; Metabolomics; Middle Aged; noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus; Nontargeted metabolite profiling; nutritional intervention; Nutritive Value; polyphenols; Polyphenols - blood; risk; sampling; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; triacylglycerols; whole grain foods; Whole Grains - metabolism; Wholegrain cereals; Italy; Nontargeted metabolite profiling; Metabolomics; Wholegrain cereals; Metabolic effect; Dietary biomarker
• ISSN: 0939-4753; 1590-3729; 1590-3729
• DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2020.12.022

Wholegrain cereals have been implicated in the reduction of lifestyle-related chronic diseases risk including cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. Molecular mechanisms responsible for the beneficial health effects are not entirely understood. The aims of this study were 1) to identify new potential plasma biomarker candidate metabolites of wholegrain cereal foods intake and 2) to examine whether some putative metabolites associated with wholegrain foods intake may play a role in the improvement of cardiometabolic risk factors. Analysis have been conducted in 54 individuals with metabolic syndrome of both genders, age 40–65 years, randomly assigned to 2 dietary interventions lasting 12-week: 1) wholegrain enriched diet (n = 28), and 2) refined-wheat cereals diet (control diet) (n = 26). Nontargeted metabolite profiling analysis was performed on fasting plasma samples collected at baseline and at the end of the experimental diets. Our data show that, at the end of the intervention, a higher intake of wholegrain (tertile 3) was significantly associated with a marked increase in several lipid compounds, as PC (20:4/16:1), LPC (20:4), LPC (22:6), LPC (18:3), LPC (22:5), and a phenolic compound (P < .05 for all). In the wholegrain group, higher concentrations of these metabolites (tertile 3 vs tertile 1 of each metabolite) were significantly associated with lower postprandial insulin and triglyceride responses (P < .05) by 29% and 37%, respectively. These observations suggest a possible role of lipid and polyphenol metabolites in the postprandial metabolic benefits of wholegrains in subjects at high risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, they provide insight into the role of these metabolites as potential candidate biomarkers of wholegrain foods. The study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT00945854). [Display omitted] •Wholegrain cereal consumption increases metabolites belonging to lipid and polyphenol classes.•These metabolites improve postprandial insulin and triglyceride metabolism.•Postprandial metabolism is an important and independent risk factor for chronic conditions.•Consumption of wholegrain foods must be implemented in subjects at high risk of chronic disease.