Development of a high-throughput LC/APCI-MS method for the determination of thirteen phytoestrogens including gut microbial metabolites in human urine and serum

Enterolignans: from natural origins to cardiometabolic significance, including chemistry, dietary sources, bioavailability, and activity

The enterolignans, enterolactone and enterodiol, the main metabolites produced from plant lignans by the gut microbiota, have enhanced bioavailability and activity compared to their precursors, with beneficial effects on metabolic and cardiovascular health. Although extensively studied, the biosynthesis, cardiometabolic effects, and other therapeutic implications of mammalian lignans are still incompletely understood. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of these phytoestrogen metabolites based on up-to-date information reported in studies from a wide range of disciplines. Established and novel synthetic strategies are described, as are the various lignan precursors, their dietary sources, and a proposed metabolic pathway for their conversion to enterolignans. The methodologies used for enterolignan analysis and the available data on pharmacokinetics and bioavailability are summarized and their cardiometabolic bioactivity is explored in detail. The special focus given to research on the health benefits of microbial-derived lignan metabolites underscores the critical role of lignan-rich diets in promoting cardiovascular health.

The Potent Phytoestrogen 8-Prenylnaringenin: A Friend or a Foe?

8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN) is a prenylated flavonoid, occurring, in particular, in hop, but also in other plants. It has proven to be one of the most potent phytoestrogens in vitro known to date, and in the past 20 years, research has unveiled new effects triggered by it in biological systems. These findings have aroused the hopes, expectations, and enthusiasm of a “wonder-drug” for a host of human diseases. However, the majority of 8-PN effects require such high concentrations that they cannot be reached by normal dietary exposure, only pharmacologically; thus, adverse impacts may also emerge. Here, we provide a comprehensive and up-to-date review on this fascinating compound, with special reference to the range of beneficial and untoward health consequences that may ensue from exposure to it.

Stable Isotope Dilution Analysis of the Major Prenylated Flavonoids Found in Beer, Hop Tea, and Hops

Prenylated flavonoids from hops (Humulus lupulus) have become of interest in recent years due to a range of bioactivities. The potential health benefits of prenylated flavonoids include anti-cancerous activities and treatment of the metabolic syndrome among others. Since prenylated flavonoids from hops have shown pharmaceutical potential in clinical trials, robust analytical methods to determine their concentrations in food, supplements, and beverages are required. One such, the gold standard of analytical methods, is stable isotope dilution analysis due to its ability to compensate matrix effects and losses during sample work-up. As no commercial standards were available, the synthesis of seven different prenylated flavonoid isotopes utilizing various strategies (microwave assistance, acid base catalyst in the presence of deuterated substance and lastly, the use of Strykers catalyst) is described. The produced prenylated flavonoid isotopes were then applied in the first stable isotope dilution analysis method that quantified six natural prenylated flavonoids (Isoxanthohumol, Isoxanthohumol-C, 8-Prenylnaringenin, 6- Prenylnaringenin, Xanthohumol, and Xanthohumol-C) in beer, hop tea and hops to prove its applicability. The SIDA-LC-MS/MS method was validated resulting in LODs and LOQs for all analytes between 0.04 and 3.2 μg/L. Moreover, due to the simple clean-up the developed method allows the prospect for measuring clinical samples in the future.

A Simple and Rapid LC-MS/MS Method for Quantification of Total Daidzein, Genistein, and Equol in Human Urine

Isoflavones and isoflavandiols have shown many health benefits, such as reducing cardiovascular disease, cancer, age-related disease, and osteoporosis. However, to investigate the relationships between consumption of isoflavones and their health benefits, it is important to be able to accurately quantify exposure in the large numbers of samples typically produced in association studies (i.e., several thousands). Current methods rely on solid-phase extraction protocols for sample cleanup, resulting in protracted extraction and analysis times. Here, we describe a fast and easy sample preparation method of human urine samples for subsequent quantification of daidzein, genistein (isoflavones), and equol (isoflavandiol) using LC-MS/MS. Sample preparation involves only the addition of dimethylformamide (DMF) and formic acid (FA) after enzymatic hydrolysis of their metabolites by a β-glucuronidase and sulfatase mixture. The method was validated by precision, linearity, accuracy, recoveries, limit of detection (LOD), and limit of quantification (LOQ). Linear calibration curves have been shown by daidzein, genistein, and equol. The correlation coefficients values are r ² > 0.99 for daidzein, genistein, and equol. LOD for daidzein and genistein was 1 ng/ml and equol was 2 ng/ml. Recoveries were >90%, and the relative standard deviation for intraday (<10%) and interday (≤20% over 10 days) was good. This method is suitable for quantification of isoflavones and the microbial metabolite equol in human urine and is particularly useful where large numbers of samples require analysis.

Exploratory analysis of the human breast DNA methylation profile upon soymilk exposure

Upon soy consumption, isoflavone metabolites attain bioactive concentrations in breast tissue possibly affecting health. Though in vitro epigenetic activity of soy metabolites has been described, the in vivo impact on the epigenome is largely unknown. Therefore, in this case-control study, the breast glandular tissue DNA methylome was explored in women undergoing an aesthetic breast reduction. After a run-in phase, 10 generally healthy Belgian or Dutch women received soymilk for 5 days. MethylCap-seq methylation profiles were compared with those of 10 matched controls. Isoflavones and their microbial metabolites were quantified in urine, serum, and glandular breast tissue (liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry) and 17β-estradiol in glandular breast tissue (immunoassay). Global DNA methylation levels were obtained for 6 cases and 5 controls using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Although lower MethylCap-seq coverages were observed, mass spectrometry results and computational LINE-1 methylation analysis did not provide evidence supporting global methylation alterations upon treatment. At a false discovery rate of 0.05, no differentially methylated loci were identified. Moreover, a set of previously identified loci was specifically tested, but earlier reported results could not be validated. In conclusion, after a 5-day soymilk treatment, no major general epigenetic reprogramming in breast tissue could be found in this exploratory study.

Quantification of 38 dietary polyphenols in plasma by differential isotope labelling and liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Polyphenols constitute one of the most complex classes of phytochemicals in the human diet and have been suggested to play a role in the prevention of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancers. However, evidence from epidemiological studies is still needed to better understand their role in disease prevention. To do so, robust methods for the accurate measurement of these molecules in large series of samples are needed. We report here the development of a highly-sensitive method based on differential isotope labelling with 13C- and 12C-dansyl chloride for the analysis of 38 structurally diverse polyphenols in 50 μL plasma by tandem mass spectrometry with limits of quantification varying between 0.11 to 44 nmol/L. Full validation of the method was achieved for 37 compounds out of the 38 tested. The method showed intra- and inter-batch coefficients of variations of 2.3-9.0% and 2.8-20.3% respectively depending on polyphenols when applied to 1163 plasma samples from the European Prospective Investigation on Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. For the first time this method allowed to quantify with high accuracy and reproducibility a large selection of compounds representative of the main classes of dietary polyphenols in low volumes of plasma.

Phytoestrogen Concentrations in Human Urine as Biomarkers for Dietary Phytoestrogen Intake in Mexican Women

There has been substantial interest in phytoestrogens, because of their potential effect in reducing cancer and heart disease risk. Measuring concentrations of phytoestrogens in urine is an alternative method for conducting epidemiological studies. Our objective was to evaluate the urinary excretion of phytoestrogens as biomarkers for dietary phytoestrogen intake in Mexican women. Participants were 100 healthy women from 25 to 80 years of age. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and a 24 h recall were used to estimate habitual and recent intakes of isoflavones, lignans, flavonols, coumestrol, resveratrol, naringenin, and luteolin. Urinary concentrations were measured by liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) using the electrospray ionization interface (ESI) and diode array detector (DAD) (HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS). Spearman correlation coefficients were used to evaluate associations between dietary intake and urine concentrations. The habitual consumption (FFQ) of total phytoestrogens was 37.56 mg/day. In urine, the higher compounds were naringenin (60.1 µg/L) and enterolactone (41.7 µg/L). Recent intakes (24 h recall) of isoflavones (r = 0.460, p < 0.001), lignans (r = 0.550, p < 0.0001), flavonoids (r = 0.240, p < 0.05), and total phytoestrogens (r = 0.410, p < 0.001) were correlated to their urinary levels. Total phytoestrogen intakes estimated by the FFQ showed higher correlations to urinary levels (r = 0.730, p < 0.0001). Urinary phytoestrogens may be useful as biomarkers of phytoestrogen intake, and as a tool for evaluating the relationship of intake and disease risk in Mexican women.

A robust analytical method for measurement of phytoestrogens and related metabolites in serum with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

A sensitive and robust method using high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was developed for quantitation of 13 phytoestrogens and related metabolites in rat serum samples. A new type of column, the Kinetex core-shell C18 column, was applied for rapid separation of the target analytes in 10min. Two enzymes, sulfatase H-1 and gulcuronidase H-5 from Helix pomatia were compared on the efficiency of releasing the conjugated forms of the target analytes to their free forms in serum samples. The method detection limit (MDL) defined as three times the signal to noise ratio in spiked serum matrix-based solutions was in the range of 0.1-3.5ng/mL. The linear dynamic calibration was in the broad range of 0.2-500ng/mL for all target compounds. Thirty-two rat serum samples from the rats that were fed with diets containing either casein or soy protein isolates with various amounts of isoflavones for 8 weeks were analyzed for the target analytes with the developed method. Nine target analytes were detected in the serum samples. Those detectable compounds are all the metabolites of the dietary isoflavones, suggesting that the diet isoflavones were mostly metabolized to their metabolites in rat.

Pharmacokinetic Comparison of Soy Isoflavone Extracts in Human Plasma

The soy isoflavones daidzein and genistein produce several biological activities related to health benefits. A number of isoflavone extracts are commercially available, but there is little information concerning the specific isoflavone content of these products or differences in their bioavailability and pharmacokinetics. This study describes the development and validation of an analytical method to detect and quantify daidzein, genistein, and equol in human plasma using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The method was applied in a crossover, randomized, bioavailability study. Twelve healthy volunteers were administered the same total isoflavones dose from two isoflavone supplement preparations (Super-Absorbable Soy Isoflavones (Life Extension, USA) and Fitoladius (Merck, Spain)). The pharmacokinetic parameters (AUC0-24/dose and Cmax/dose) of the isoflavones from the two preparations differed significantly. Such differences in bioavailability and kinetics may have relevant effects on the health benefits derived from their intake.

Determination of isoflavones in rat serum using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with a highly efficient core-shell column

Consumption and nutritional supplementation of soy and soy-based products have been linked to health benefits such as lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and decreased incidence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. In this study, we have developed a sensitive, specific, and robust method using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) for determination of serum isoflavones. A new highly efficient pentafluorophenyl phase core-shell column was first used to separate all isoflavones within 3 min, a separation time which is comparable to ultra-pressure liquid chromatography (UPLC) and micro-HPLC. A two-enzyme hydrolysis system with sulfatase and β-glucuronidase has also been developed to improve the efficiency of deconjugation of conjugated isoflavones in serum. The corresponding conjugated isoflavones were used to evaluate recoveries. In addition to duplicates, the method of standard addition was also applied in sample analysis for quality control. The developed method was applied to the analysis of 32 serum samples and was shown to be specific, sensitive and reproducible.

Phytoestrogen biomonitoring: an extractionless LC-MS/MS method for measuring urinary isoflavones and lignans by use of atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI)

We present here a high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for quantifying phytoestrogenic isoflavones (daidzein, equol, genistein, and O-desmethylangolensin) and lignans (enterodiol and enterolactone) in urine without the use of extraction or the preconcentration techniques inherent in existing methods. The development of this concept was made possible by use of atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI); an ionization technique that we found to improve analyte sensitivity relative to electrospray ionization and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization for this particular group of compounds. The analytical performance of this method was equal to or exceeded that of comparable methods. Between-run coefficients of variation (CVs) across three quality control (QC) pool levels analyzed in duplicate over 20 days were 3.1-5.8% CV; within-run CVs were 2.3-6.0%. Accuracy, as determined by average spike recovery in QC pools, was generally within ±10% of being quantitative (100%). Relative limits of detection were 0.04-0.4 ng/mL urine, with absolute detection limits as low as 0.1 pg. This method was applied to the analysis of >2,500 urine specimens for the 2005-2006 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The method was capable of quantifying these compounds in 95-100% of study samples. This work is the first ever report of using APPI for the LC-MS/MS determination of these compounds in urine. It is also the first method of its kind to do so without any need for analyte extraction or preconcentration prior to analysis.

Bioavailability of hop-derived iso-α-acids and reduced derivatives

Iso-α-acids (IAA) and their reduced derivatives (dihydro-iso-α-acids (DHIAA) and tetrahydro-iso-α-acids (THIAA)) have been administered to Caco-2 cell monolayers (30, 60, and 120 μM) to investigate epithelial transport, in both absorptive and secretive directions. In addition, 25 mg kg(-1) IAA, DHIAA, and THIAA were applied to New Zealand white rabbits (±3-3.5 kg) in a single intravenous and oral dose. The most important pharmacokinetic parameters (C(max), t(max), half life, clearance, and AUC(0-∞)) and the absolute bioavailability were determined for each class of hop acid. The results from the in vitro Caco-2 study of IAA, DHIAA, and THIAA, showed a higher membrane permeability for IAA and THIAA, both in absorptive (P(appAB) range 1.6-5.6 × 10(-6) cm s(-1)) and secretive directions (P(appBA) range 5.7-16.3 × 10(-6) cm s(-1)), when compared to DHIAA. Factors limiting transport of DHIAA could include phase II metabolism. After oral and i.v. dosing to New Zealand white rabbits, the absolute bioavailability for IAA was determined to be 13.0%. The reduced derivatives reached higher bioavailabilities with 28.0% for DHIAA and 23.0% for THIAA. The area under curve AUC(0-∞) upon oral gavage for DHIAA and THIAA was 70.7 ± 48.4 μg h ml(-1) and 57.4 ± 9.0 μg h ml(-1), respectively, while that for IAA was 10.6 ± 5.3 μg h ml(-1). Phase I metabolism was indicated as the main factor limiting the bioavailability of IAA. Bioavailability of DHIAA is mostly influenced by phase-II metabolism as shown by enzymatic hydrolysis of plasma samples upon administration of DHIAA.