Short-term biomarkers of apple consumption

Abstract

Scope: Urinary biomarkers are used to estimate the nutritional intake of humans. The aim of this study was to distinguish between low, medium, and high apple consumption by quantifying possible intake biomarkers in urine samples after apple consumption by HPLC-MS/MS. Apples were chosen as they are the most consumed fruits in Germany.

Methods and results: Thirty subjects took part in 7-day study. They abstained from apples and apple products except for one weighed apple portion resembling one, two, or four apples. Before apple consumption and during the following days spot urine samples were collected. These urine samples were incubated with β-glucuronidase, diluted, and directly measured by HPLC-MS/MS. Phloretin, epicatechin, procyanidin B2, and quercetin were detected in urine using Scheduled MRM^TM mode. Phloretin was confirmed as a urinary biomarker of apple intake and had the ability to discriminate between low or medium (one or two apples) and high apple consumption (four apples). The groups also differ in the excretion of epicatechin and procyanidin B2.

Conclusion: Apple consumption can be monitored by urinary biomarkers for a period of at least 12 h after consumption. Furthermore the amount of apples consumed can be estimated by the concentration of certain biomarkers.

Keywords: Apple; Food consumption marker; Intake biomarker; Phloretin; Urine.

Figure 1

(A) Seven‐day study design, (B) timeline of urine sample collection.

Figure 2

Phloretin excretion kinetics for low, medium, and high apple consumption group (•: outliners, #: data presented in these bars are also part of other bars depending on the time of the first and last urine excretion of each individual, see Section 2.3.2 for details).

Figure 3

Summed up phloretin/epicatechin/procyanidin B2 excretion from the first excretion after apple consumption to the last excretion on the day of consumption for all three consumption groups (•: outliners, see Section 2.3.2 for details).

Figure 4

Phloretin excretion kinetics (μg/mg creatinine) for three individuals from the low, medium, and high consumption group.

Figure 5

Epicatechin excretion kinetics for low, medium, and high consumption group (•: outliners, #: data presented in these bars are also part of other bars depending on the time of the first and last urine excretion of each individual, see Section 2.3.2 for details).

Figure 6

Procyanidin B2 excretion kinetics for low, medium, and high consumption group (•: outliners, #: data presented in these bars are also part of other bars depending on the time of the first and last urine excretion of each individual, see Section 2.3.2 for details).