Understanding the protective effects of wine components and their metabolites in the brain function

Moderate wine consumption has been suggested to exert a positive effect in prevention of neurodegenerative process and cognitive impairment. With the ultimate aim of achieving a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind this benefit, we have investigated the role of certain wine- derived phenolic metabolites and aroma compounds in the MAPK cascade (including ERK1/2, p38), one of the routes directly related to inflammation in neuronal cells. Some of the tested phenolic compounds, especially in the case of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, showed a significant neuroprotective effect against SIN-1-induced neuronal death. Regarding their effect over MAPK phosphorylation, inmunoblotting technique revealed a beneficial and significant decrease on the phosphorylation of p38 and ERK1/2 kinases after incubation with wine constituents. In addition, activity of caspase3-like protease, an executor of neuronal apoptosis and a downstream signal of MAPK, was significantly diminished by 3-(3-hydroxyphenyl) propionic acid and linalool, counterbalancing the increase produced by SIN-1. Altogether, these results suggest that wine aroma, phenolic compounds and their gut metabolites could exert neuroprotective actions by modulating MAPK signalling and caspase-3 proteases activation, which are known to play a key role in oxidative/ nitrosative stress-induced response

Endotoxin increase after fat overload is related to postprandial hypertriglyceridemia in morbidly obese patients.

The low-grade inflammation observed in obesity has been associated with a high-fat diet, though this relation is not fully understood. Bacterial endotoxin, produced by gut microbiota, may be the linking factor. However, this has not been confirmed in obese patients. To study the relationship between a high-fat diet and bacterial endotoxin, we analyzed postprandial endotoxemia in morbidly obese patients after a fat overload. The endotoxin levels were determined in serum and the chylomicron fraction at baseline and 3 h after a fat overload in 40 morbidly obese patients and their levels related with the degree of insulin resistance and postprandial hypertriglyceridemia. The morbidly obese patients with the highest postprandial hypertriglyceridemia showed a significant increase in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels in serum and the chylomicron fraction after the fat overload. Postprandial chylomicron LPS levels correlated positively with the difference between postprandial triglycerides and baseline triglycerides. There were no significant correlations between C-reactive protein (CRP) and LPS levels. The main variables contributing to serum LPS levels after fat overload were baseline and postprandial triglyceride levels but not glucose or insulin resistance. Additionally, superoxide dismutase activity decreased significantly after the fat overload. Postprandial LPS increase after a fat overload is related to postprandial hypertriglyceridemia but not to degree of insulin resistance in morbidly obese patients

Systematic analysis of the polyphenol metabolome using the Phenol-Explorer database

SCOPE: The Phenol-Explorer web database details 383 polyphenol metabolites identified in human and animal biofluids from 221 publications. Here we exploit these data to characterize and visualize the polyphenol metabolome, the set of all metabolites derived from phenolic food components. METHODS AND RESULTS: Qualitative and quantitative data on 383 polyphenol metabolites as described in 424 human and animal intervention studies were systematically analyzed. Of these metabolites, 301 were identified without prior enzymatic hydrolysis of biofluids, and included glucuronide and sulfate esters, glycosides, aglycones, and O-methyl ethers. Around one third of these compounds are also known as food constituents and corresponded to polyphenols absorbed without further metabolism. Many ring-cleavage metabolites formed by gut microbiota were noted, mostly derived from hydroxycinnamates, flavanols and flavonols. Median maximum plasma concentrations (Cmax ) of all human metabolites were 0.09 μM and 0.32 μM when consumed from foods or dietary supplements respectively. Median time to reach maximum plasma concentration in humans (Tmax ) was 2.18 h. CONCLUSION: These data show the complexity of the polyphenol metabolome and the need to take into account biotransformations to understand in vivo bioactivities and the role of dietary polyphenols in health and disease. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Phenolic and microbial-targeted metabolomics to discovering and evaluating wine intake biomarkers in human urine and plasma

The discovery of biomarkers of intake in nutritional epidemiological studies is essential in establishing an association between dietary intake (considering their bioavailability) and diet-related risk factors for diseases. The aim is to study urine and plasma phenolic and microbial profile by targeted metabolomics approach in a wine intervention clinical trial for discovering and evaluating food intake biomarkers. High-risk male volunteers (n = 36) were included in a randomized, crossover intervention clinical trial. After a washout period, subjects received red wine or gin, or dealcoholized red wine over four weeks. Fasting plasma and 24-h urine were collected at baseline and after each intervention period. A targeted metabolomic analysis of 70 host and microbial phenolic metabolites was performed using ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer (UPLC-MS/MS). Metabolites were subjected to stepwise logistic regression to establish prediction models and received operation curves were performed to evaluate biomarkers. Prediction models based mainly on gallic acid metabolites, obtained sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve (AUC) for the training and validation sets of between 91 and 98% for urine and between 74 and 91% for plasma. Resveratrol, ethylgallate and gallic acid metabolite groups in urine samples also resulted in being good predictors of wine intake (AUC>87%). However, lower values for metabolites were obtained in plasma samples. The highest correlations between fasting plasma and urine were obtained for the prediction model score (r = 0.6, P<0.001), followed by gallic acid metabolites (r = 0.5-0.6, P<0.001). This study provides new insights into the discovery of food biomarkers in different biological samples

Phenol-Explorer 2.0: a major update of the Phenol-Explorer database integrating data on polyphenol metabolism and pharmacokinetics in humans and experimental animals

Phenol-Explorer, launched in 2009, is the only comprehensive web-based database on the content in foods of polyphenols, a major class of food bioactives that receive considerable attention due to their role in the prevention of diseases. Polyphenols are rarely absorbed and excreted in their ingested forms, but extensively metabolized in the body, and until now, no database has allowed the recall of identities and concentrations of polyphenol metabolites in biofluids after the consumption of polyphenol-rich sources. Knowledge of these metabolites is essential in the planning of experiments whose aim is to elucidate the effects of polyphenols on health. Release 2.0 is the first major update of the database, allowing the rapid retrieval of data on the biotransformations and pharmacokinetics of dietary polyphenols. Data on 375 polyphenol metabolites identified in urine and plasma were collected from 236 peer-reviewed publications on polyphenol metabolism in humans and experimental animals and added to the database by means of an extended relational design. Pharmacokinetic parameters have been collected and can be retrieved in both tabular and graphical form. The web interface has been enhanced and now allows the filtering of information according to various criteria. Phenol-Explorer 2.0, which will be periodically updated, should prove to be an even more useful and capable resource for polyphenol scientists because bioactivities and health effects of polyphenols are dependent on the nature and concentrations of metabolites reaching the target tissues. The Phenol-Explorer database is publicly available and can be found online at http://www.phenol-explorer.eu. Database URL: http://www.phenol-explorer.eu

Neuroprotective effects of selected microbial-derived phenolic metabolites and aroma compounds from wine in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells and their putative mechanisms of action

Moderate wine consumption has shown the potential to delay the onset of neurodegenerative diseases. This study investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying the protective effects of wine-derived phenolic and aroma compounds in a neuroinflammation model based on SIN-1 stress-induced injury in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Cell pretreatment with microbial metabolites found in blood after wine consumption, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic (3,4-DHPA), 3-hydroxyphenylacetic acids and salicylic β-d-O-glucuronide, at physiologically concentrations (0.1-10 μM) resulted in increased cell viability versus SIN-1 control group (p < 0.05). Results also showed significant decreases in mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) p38 and ERK1/2 activation as well as in downstream pro-apoptotic caspase-3 activity by some of the studied compounds. Moreover, pretreatment with p38, MEK, and ERK1/2-specific inhibitors, which have a phenolic-like structure, also resulted in an increase on cell survival and a reduction on caspase-3 activity levels. Overall, these results contribute with new evidences related to the neuroprotective actions of wine, pointing out that wine-derived human metabolites and aroma compounds may be effective at protecting neuroblastoma cells from nitrosative stress injury by inhibiting neuronal MAPK p38 and ERK1/2, as well as downstream caspase 3 activity

Determinación de biomarcadores nutricionales: Desarrollo de bases de datos y estudio de la interacción de los compuestos fenólicos con la microbiota intestinal en estudios de intervención con vino tinto

[spa] El estudio de la relación entre la dieta o factores específicos de la dieta y el estado de salud requieren medidas exactas de la exposición dietética. Los análisis tradicionales de exposición alimentaria, como las encuestas dietéticas o los cuestionarios de frecuencia de consumo contienen una serie de errores sistemáticos, como la limitación en la lista de alimentos considerados o estimaciones erróneas en el tamaño y la frecuencia de la ingesta, que han provocado una cierta inconsistencia en el verdadero papel de la alimentación sobre la salud humana. Como resultado de este hecho, existe un intenso esfuerzo por parte de la comunidad científica hacia la identificación de biomarcadores nutricionales. El objetivo principal de esta tesis ha sido el estudio de los biomarcadores de consumo de vino tinto, incluyendo principalmente aquellos metabolitos originados por la acción de la microbiota intestinal, mediante la generación de la base de datos Phenol-Explorer y su aplicación en estudios clínicos con vino tinto. Para ello se ha desarrollado la primera base de datos que considera el metabolismo de los compuestos fenólicos, concretándose en la generación del módulo de metabolismo de la base de datos Phenol-Explorer y se ha aplicado al estudio del metabolismo del vino. El conocimiento generado de este trabajo se aplicó a un estudio clínico y a un subestudio de similares características, ambos aleatorizados, cruzados y controlados de intervención con vino tinto, vino tinto desalcoholizado y ginebra como control para la identificación de biomarcadores. Se describió el más amplio perfil metabólico de metabolitos urinarios fenólicos mayoritariamente aquellos originados por la microbiota intestinal (n=61) mediante UPLCMS/ MS tras el consumo de vino tinto desalcoholizado observando un aumento de metabolitos (n=49) respecto al momento basal, principalmente aquellos originados por el metabolismo microbiano de los antocianos y los flavan-3-oles. Cuando se comparó la ingesta de vino alcoholizado y desalcoholizado no se observaron diferencias de excreción de metabolitos entre los dos vinos, por lo que se evaluó la capacidad discriminatoria de dichos metabolitos como biomarcadores de su consumo. A través de una regresión logística se estableció un modelo que incluía derivados del ácido gálico y el etilgalato. Tras su evaluación, estos resultaron ser buenos predictores del consumo de vino tanto para plasma como para orina. Estos resultados demuestran que la combinación de diversos biomarcadores procedentes del consumo de vino mejora su capacidad discriminatoria y predictiva respecto a la consideración de biomarcadores individuales. La comparación entre ambas matrices estableció que la orina 24 horas proporciona un mayor poder discriminatorio entre consumidores o no consumidores de vino respecto a la de plasma, sin embargo, existe una correlación entre los grupos de metabolitos y el modelo generado. En el subestudio realizado con 10 participantes donde también se recogieron muestras de heces, el análisis de la flora fecal tras el consumo de vino permitió establecer el efecto prebiótico de los polifenoles del vino sobre la microbiota intestinal, aumentando significativamente Enterococcus, Bifidobacterium y Eggerthella lenta tras el consumo de polifenoles, independientemente de la presencia de alcohol. De manera adicional se observaron mejoras de parámetros bioquímicos como el colesterol o la proteína-C reactiva correlacionados con cambios en los géneros Bifidobacterium y Bacteroides. Finalmente, los cambios bacterianos se asociaron con los cambios en la excreción de metabolitos fenólicos observándose que los aumentos de las bifidobacterias se correlacionaban con aumentos de metabolitos microbianos como el siríngico y 4-hidroxibenzoico derivados de los antocianos del vino, y la existencia de una correlación inversa para el Enterococcus y la Eggerthella lenta, con el 3(4-hidroxi)fenilacético y los ácidos hidroxicinámicos respectivamente.[eng] The study on the relationship between diet and health status require accurate measurements of dietary exposure. Traditional analysis of dietary exposure might lead to bias in the estimation of the role of food on human health. Therefore, there is an intense effort by the scientific community on the identification of biomarkers. The principal objective of the Thesis has been to contribute to the identification and evaluation of biomarkers of red wine consumption, focusing on the intestinal microbiota metabolites. To this purpose the Phenol-Explorer database metabolism module was developed and applied to study wine metabolism. The knowledge generated in this work was applied to a clinical study and a substudy of similar characteristics, both randomized, crossed and controlled intervention with red wine, dealcoholized red wine and gin as a control for biomarkers identification. Therefore, it has been described the broadest phenolic metabolic profile, mainly representing metabolites originated by microbiota (n=61), by UPLC-MS/MS in urine after consumption of dealcoholized red wine. Most of increased metabolites from baseline (n=49) were of anthocyanins and flavanols microbial metabolism origin. When comparing the intake of red wine and dealcoholized red wine no differences in metabolite excretion were observed, so both wines were used to evaluate the discriminatory power of these metabolites as biomarkers of wine intake. Through a logistic regression, a model including derivatives of gallic acid and ethylgallate was established. This model was found to be better predictor of wine consumption in plasma and urine than individual metabolites. These results demonstrated that the combination of different biomarkers could improve the discriminatory and predictive ability regarding the consideration of individual biomarkers. In the substudy conducted with 10 participants, fecal samples were also collected. Their analysis on microbiota content allowed establishing the prebiotic effect of polyphenols, where significant increases of Enterococcus, Bifidobacterium and Eggerthella lenta after both wines were detected and correlated to improvements in biochemical parameters such as cholesterol or C-reactive protein. Finally, bacterial changes were associated with changes in the excretion of phenolic metabolites, as bifidobacterias, which increase was correlated with anthocyanins derived microbial metabolites

High levels of Bifidobacteria are associated with increased levels of anthocyanin microbial metabolites: a randomized clinical trial †

The health benefits associated with the consumption of polyphenol-rich foods have been studied in depth, however, the full mechanism of action remains unknown. One of the proposed mechanisms is through microbiota interaction. In the present study, we aimed to explore the relationship between changes in fecal microbiota and changes in urinary phenolic metabolites after wine interventions. Nine participants followed a randomized, crossover, controlled interventional trial. After the washout period, they received red wine, dealcoholized red wine or gin for 20 days each. Polyphenol metabolites (n &gt; 60) in urine were identified and quantified by UPLC-MS/MS and the microbial content of fecal samples was quantified by real-time quantitative PCR. Interventions with both red wine and dealcoholized red wine increased the fecal concentration of Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus and Eggerthella lenta, compared to gin intervention and baseline. When participants were categorized in tertiles of changes in fecal bacteria, those in the highest tertile of Bifidobacteria had higher urinary concentration changes in syringic acid, pcoumaric acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and homovanillic acid (all anthocyanin metabolites) than those in tertile 1 (P &lt; 0.05, all). In addition, changes of Bifidobacteria correlated positively with changes of these metabolites (r ¼ 0.5-0.7, P &lt; 0.05, all). Finally, the 68.5% changes in Bifidobacteria can be predicted by syringic acid and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid changes. This study confirms the important role of polyphenols as bacterial substrates and their modulatory capacity as an important field in the research of new products with prebiotic and probiotic characteristics for the food industry

Structural Diversity using Hyp “Customizable Units”: Proof‐of‐Concept Synthesis of Sansalvamide‐Related Antitumoral Peptides

The potential of “customizable units” to generate structural diversity for biological screenings is highlighted in this proof‐of‐concept synthesis of new peptides related to the potent antitumoral Sansalvamide A. Using L‐4‐hydroxyproline (Hyp) as a customizable unit in a linear parent peptide, an improved procedure for selective peptide modification was developed. A divergent Hyp scission‐reductive amination process was carried out, affording five linear peptides with cationic residues, and notably, an N‐alkyl moiety that affected the conformation of the peptide. After two steps (saponification and macrocyclization), sixteen differently N1‐substituted linear and cyclic peptides were obtained. For the first time, the activity of the linear and cyclic compounds was compared. Not only some linear analogs but also cyclic compounds with scarcely studied cationic residues were active against MCF7 breast cancer line. Thus, the structural diversity generated from customizable units can be valuable in drug discovery.This work was partly financed by the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT, Mexico) through project 2015‐01‐807, and by MINECO‐MCIU (Spain) with European Social Funds (ESF), through Programme Plan Estatal I+D‐RETOS (project SAF‐2013‐48399‐R). C. J. S. received a postdoctoral contract from the Torres Quevedo Programme (PTQ15‐07923) by MINECO/Min. Science and Innovation, cofinanced by BIOSIGMA SL. Finally, I.R−E. and F.C. thank CONACYT for Catedra contract 942 and predoctoral grant 305283 respectively.Peer reviewe

Prediction of the wine polyphenol metabolic space: An application of the Phenol-Explorer database

Scope Knowledge of in vivo polyphenol metabolites derived from the consumption of red wine could be key to understanding its health benefits. This work aimed to predict the wine polyphenol metabolic space in biofluids by using all available data compiled in the Phenol-Explorer database. Methods and results A search strategy was developed for Phenol-Explorer to obtain the widest range of metabolites related to wine consumption. A total of 97 metabolites have been described in intervention studies with wine and related products (n = 37), and after consumption of pure compounds known to be wine constituents (n = 90). These 97 metabolites, derived from host and microbial metabolism of several classes of polyphenols, were found in plasma and urine samples and some of them have demonstrated higher or lower biological activities than the parent compound in in vitro studies. The metabolites have been linked to generate, for the first time, a global pathway map of wine in vivo polyphenol metabolism. Conclusion The retrieval of the widest range of metabolites so far described and their assembly as a metabolic pathway map could aid the identification of possible biomarkers of wine consumption and improve current understanding of the health effects of wine consumption