Metabolomic study of orange juice consumption: biomarkers identification

Abstract

The health benefits promoted by diets rich in fruits and vegetables are usually associated with the prevention of the development of various diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory and cancer. This effect is directly related to phytochemical constituents, characterized particularly by the phenolic compounds present in plants and / or plant foods due to their antioxidant capacity. Research on the mechanism of action of these compounds showed that, besides exerting effects of scavengers of free radicals, these molecules have greater capacity to modulate several metabolic pathways and cell signaling. Among the most common fruits rich in flavonoids, consumed in Brazil, there are the citrus fruits such as orange, tangerine and lemon. Up to the present, it is known that one or more types of flavonoids in these fruits may be responsible for the beneficial effects provided by the daily consumption of these phytochemicals. However, this knowledge is still scarce due to the application of limited models of studies, such as in vitro experimental protocols, which do not provide a comprehensive evaluation about biochemical metabolism in a complex organism. Recently, metabolomics approach was proposed as a useful tool for enhancing the understanding of the complex relationship between nutrition and human metabolism of bioactive compounds. Such approach favors the analysis of the profile of metabolites formation after intake of certain phytochemicals, relating them to the genetic, physiological and/or environmental factors, and the impact of these products on the various metabolic pathways of an organism. On the exposed, using a metabolomics approach to the understanding of the potential of bioactive compounds present in citrus fruits, the aim of this study is to identify and characterize the flavonones, group of flavonoids present in orange, as well as determining the impact of the intake of these compounds of the various metabolic human pathways. Moreover, it is expected to identify compounds which will provide information about the metabolism of this group of compounds, in addition to biomarkers related to its consumption. (AU)