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Title: Profiling glucosinolate metabolites in human urine and plasma after broccoli consumption using non-targeted and targeted metabolomic analyses

Author
item SUN, JIANGHAO - University Of Maryland
item Charron, Craig
item Novotny, Janet
item PENG, BING - Beijing Institute Of Microbiology And Epidemiology
item YU, LIANGLI - University Of Maryland
item Chen, Pei

Submitted to: Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/5/2019
Publication Date: 10/14/2019
Citation: Sun, J., Charron, C.S., Novotny, J.A., Peng, B., Yu, L., Chen, P. 2019. Profiling glucosinolate metabolites in human urine and plasma after broccoli consumption using non-targeted and targeted metabolomic analyses. Food Chemistry. 309:125660. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125660.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125660

Interpretive Summary: Metabolite profiles determined by non-targeted metabolomic studies can characterize the human response to broccoli intake. These profiles changed with time after broccoli consumption, despite differential responses among individual subjects. The decrease of urinary hippuric acid may be associated with broccoli consumption. A very sensitive high-resolution, accurate mass-mass spectrometry (HRAM-MS) for the targeted analysis of glucosinolate metabolites was established. For the first time, plasma metabolites from methoxyl glucosinolates are reported. The method detected multiple glucosinolate metabolites at the nM level in human urine and plasma after a single meal of uncooked broccoli.

Technical Abstract: Broccoli is a popular brassica vegetable and consumption may decrease the occurrence of cancer in certain populations. To gain insight into the metabolites that may induce physiological responses to broccoli intake, a non-targeted metabolomic approach and a targeted approach for analysis of glucosinolate metabolites were developed using high resolution accurate mass spectrometry. A human study was conducted in which 6 subjects consumed a single meal of 200 g of uncooked broccoli florets. The metabolomic analysis revealed changes in endogenous metabolites and a decrease in hippuric acid after broccoli consumption. Targeted analysis by high-resolution, accurate mass-mass spectrometry (HRAM-MS) enabled detection of low concentrations of glucosinolate metabolites at nM levels in human urine and plasma. Thirteen and eight glucosinolate metabolites were found in human urine and plasma, respectively. Metabolites from methoxyl-indole glucosinolates arising from broccoli consumption are reported here for the first time. Most glucosinolate metabolites reached their peak levels at 2-4 h in urine, while in plasma, peak maxima were reached at 2 h after the intake of broccoli. The results suggest that the glucoraphanin metabolites (sulforaphane, sulforaphane cysteine, sulforaphane N-acetyl cysteine) and the indole metabolites (ascorbigen and methoxyl ascorbigen from indole glucosinolates) may serve as marker compounds for the intake of broccoli.