Metabolomic response to coffee consumption: application to a three-stage clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Coffee is widely consumed and contains many bioactive compounds, any of which may impact pathways related to disease development. OBJECTIVE: To identify individual metabolite changes in response to coffee. METHODS: We profiled the metabolome of fasting serum samples collected from a previously reported single-blinded, three-stage clinical trial. Forty-seven habitual coffee consumers refrained from drinking coffee for 1 month, consumed four cups of coffee/day in the second month and eight cups/day in the third month. Samples collected after each coffee stage were subject to nontargeted metabolomic profiling using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS. A total of 733 metabolites were included for univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: A total of 115 metabolites were significantly associated with coffee intake (P < 0.05 and Q < 0.05). Eighty-two were of known identity and mapped to one of 33 predefined biological pathways. We observed a significant enrichment of metabolite members of five pathways (P < 0.05): (i) xanthine metabolism: includes caffeine metabolites, (ii) benzoate metabolism: reflects polyphenol metabolite products of gut microbiota metabolism, (iii) steroid: novel but may reflect phytosterol content of coffee, (iv) fatty acid metabolism (acylcholine): novel link to coffee and (v) endocannabinoid: novel link to coffee. CONCLUSIONS: The novel metabolites and candidate pathways we have identified may provide new insight into the mechanisms by which coffee may be exerting its health effects.

Effects of anthocyanins on cardiovascular risk factors and inflammation in pre-hypertensive men: a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled crossover study.

High intake of fruits and vegetables is associated with reduced cardiovascular risk. A number of fruits and vegetables are rich in anthocyanins, which constitute a subgroup of the flavonoids. Anthocyanins have demonstrated anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties, and anthocyanin-rich interventions have indicated beneficial effects on blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors. We assessed whether a purified anthocyanin supplement improves cardiovascular metabolic risk factors and markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in prehypertensive participants, and whether plasma polyphenols are increased 1-3 h following intake. In all, 31 men between 35-51 years with screening blood pressure >140/90 mm Hg without anti-hypertensive or lipid-lowering medication, were randomized in a double-blinded crossover study to placebo versus 640 mg anthocyanins daily. Treatment durations were 4 weeks with a 4-week washout. High-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and blood glucose were significantly higher after anthocyanin versus placebo treatment (P=0.043 and P=0.024, respectively). No effects were observed on inflammation or oxidative stress in vivo, except for von Willebrand factor, which was higher in the anthocyanin period (P=0.007). Several plasma polyphenols increased significantly 1-3 h following anthocyanin intake. The present study strengthens the evidence that anthocyanins may increase HDL-cholesterol levels, and this is demonstrated for the first time in prehypertensive and non-dyslipidemic men. However, no other beneficial effects in the short term were found on pathophysiological markers of cardiovascular disease.