Elvira Escribano-Ferrer, Ramon Estruch, Olga Jáuregui, Sara Tulipani, Miriam Martínez-Huélamo, Anna Vallverdú-Queralt, Giuseppe Di Lecce, Rosa M. Lamuela-Raventós, Palmira Valderas-Martinez, Montse Illan, Department of Nutrition and Food Science-XARTA-INSA-UB, School of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Instituto de Salud Carlos III [Madrid] (ISC), Sciences Pour l'Oenologie (SPO), Université Montpellier 1 (UM1)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro), Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro), Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Clinic, Institute of Biomedical Investigation August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Biomedical Research Institute (IBIMA), Service of Endocrinology and Nutrition, M ́ alaga Hospital Complex (Virgen de la Victoria), Campus de Teatinos s/n, Universidad de Málaga [Málaga] = University of Málaga [Málaga], Scientific and Technological Centers, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics Unit, Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), CICYT (AGL2010-22319-C03 AGL2013-49083-C3-1-R), Generalitat de Catalunya (2014 SGR 773), Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro), Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Université Montpellier 1 (UM1)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISC), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Université Montpellier 1 (UM1)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [Nouvelle-Calédonie])-Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro), Universidad de Málaga [Málaga], and Université Montpellier 1 (UM1)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [Nouvelle-Calédonie])-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro)
Scope Tomato contains a variety of phenolics associated with health-promoting properties. However, the effects of processing and the addition of oil during tomato sauce preparation on microbial metabolism of phenolics in the small intestine are still unclear. Methods and results An open, controlled, randomized, and crossover feeding trial with 40 healthy volunteers was carried out to analyze the metabolites in plasma and urine after the consumption of tomato and tomato sauces, with tomato sauce enriched with refined olive oil (ROOE) and without refined olive oil (oil-free: OF). Ten phenolics in plasma and 93 metabolites in urine were quantified. Processing tomatoes into sauce enhanced the bioavailability of flavanones, flavanols, and some hydroxycinnamic acids, as reflected by the increase in the area under the plasma concentration versus time curve. An increase in their plasma half-life was also observed, particularly after ingestion of ROOE, possibly favored by enterohepatic circulation. A wide variety of gut microbial metabolites was also detected, namely flavanones, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonols, hydroxyphenylpropanoic acids, hydroxyphenylacetic acids, and hydroxybenzoic acids. Conclusions Flavanones and flavonols in ROOE presented higher bioavailability, suggesting that the processing undergone by the raw tomato improved their absorption.