Molecular nutrition & food research | 2021
Pepper Alkaloids and Processed Meat Intake: Results From a randomized Trial and the EUROPEAN Prospective Investigation on Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Cohort.
Abstract
SCOPE\nProcessed meat intake has been associated with adverse health outcomes. However, little is known about the type of processed meat more particularly responsible for these effects. This study aims to identify novel biomarkers for processed meat intake.\n\n\nMETHODS AND RESULTS\nIn a controlled randomized cross-over dietary intervention study, 12 healthy volunteers consumed different processed and non-processed meats for 3 consecutive days each. Metabolomics analyses were applied on post-intervention fasting blood and urine samples to identify discriminating molecular features of processed meat intake. Nine and five pepper alkaloid metabolites, including piperine, were identified as major discriminants of salami intake in urine and plasma, respectively. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved CONCLUSION: Pepper alkaloids are major discriminants of intake for sausages which contain high levels of pepper used as ingredient. Further work is needed to assess if pepper alkaloids in combination with other metabolites may serve as biomarkers of processed meat intake.