1. Acute Consumption of Flavan-3-ol-Enriched Dark Chocolate Affects Human Endogenous Metabolism
- Author
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Shikha Saha, Paul A. Kroon, E. Kate Kemsley, Luisa M. Ostertag, Mark Philo, Garry G. Duthie, Baukje de Roos, Ian J. Colquhoun, Henri S. Tapp, and Gwénaëlle Le Gall
- Subjects
Male ,0301 basic medicine ,Phytochemicals ,Flavan-3-ol ,Urine ,Dark chocolate ,Biology ,01 natural sciences ,Biochemistry ,03 medical and health sciences ,Sex Factors ,food ,Metabolomics ,Pyruvic Acid ,Blood plasma ,Metabolome ,Humans ,White chocolate ,Lactic Acid ,Food science ,Amino Acids ,Chocolate ,Phenylacetates ,Flavonoids ,chemistry.chemical_classification ,Cross-Over Studies ,010401 analytical chemistry ,General Chemistry ,Postprandial Period ,food.food ,0104 chemical sciences ,030104 developmental biology ,Postprandial ,chemistry ,Creatinine ,Female - Abstract
Flavan-3-ols and methylxanthines have potential beneficial effects on human health including reducing cardiovascular risk. We performed a randomized controlled crossover intervention trial to assess the acute effects of consumption of flavan-3-ol-enriched dark chocolate, compared with standard dark chocolate and white chocolate, on the human metabolome. We assessed the metabolome in urine and blood plasma samples collected before and at 2 and 6 h after consumption of chocolates in 42 healthy volunteers using a nontargeted metabolomics approach. Plasma samples were assessed and showed differentiation between time points with no further separation among the three chocolate treatments. Multivariate statistics applied to urine samples could readily separate the postprandial time points and distinguish between the treatments. Most of the markers responsible for the multivariate discrimination between the chocolates were of dietary origin. Interestingly, small but significant level changes were also observed for a subset of endogenous metabolites. H-1 NMR revealed that flavan-3-ol-enriched dark chocolate and standard dark chocolate reduced urinary levels of creatinine, lactate, some amino acids, and related degradation products and increased the levels of pyruvate and 4-hydroxyphenylacetate, a phenolic compound of bacterial origin. This study demonstrates that an acute chocolate intervention can significantly affect human metabolism.
- Published
- 2017