Bioavailability of Terpenes and Postprandial Effect on Human Antioxidant Potential. An Open‐Label Study in Healthy Subjects

• Published in: Molecular nutrition & food research Vol. 62; no. 3
• Main Authors: Papada, Efstathia, Gioxari, Aristea, Brieudes, Vincent, Amerikanou, Charalampia, Halabalaki, Maria, Skaltsounis, Alexios Leandros, Smyrnioudis, Ilias, Kaliora, Andriana C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-02-2018
• Subjects: Adult; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - pharmacokinetics; Bioavailability; Biological Availability; Biomarkers; Biomarkers - blood; Blood plasma; Healthy Volunteers; High-performance liquid chromatography; Humans; Ingestion; Liquid chromatography; Low density lipoprotein; Male; Mastic Resin - chemistry; Mastic Resin - pharmacokinetics; Nutrient deficiency; Oral administration; oral bioavailability; Oxidation; Oxidation resistance; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; plasma kinetics; Postprandial Period; Powder; Statistical analysis; Statistical methods; Statistical significance; Terpenes; Terpenes - blood; Terpenes - pharmacokinetics; plasma kinetics; oral bioavailability; antioxidants; terpenes; oxidative stress
• ISSN: 1613-4125; 1613-4133
• DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201700751

Scope
To assess bioavailability of terpenes in human plasma and their effect on oxidative stress biomarkers.
Methods and results
In this open‐label and single arm postprandial trial, seventeen healthy male volunteers (20–40 years old) follow a low‐phytochemical diet for 5 days. Next, after overnight fasting, volunteers consume Mastiha powder (a natural resin rich in terpenes) dispersed in water. Blood samples are collected on time points 0 h (before ingestion) and 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 24 h (post‐ingestion). Ultra‐high‐pressure liquid chromatography high‐resolution MS (UHPLC‐HRMS/MS) is applied for high throughput analysis of plasma. Serum resistance to oxidation and oxidized LDL (oxLDL) levels are measured. UHPLC‐HRMS/MS analysis shows that major terpenes are bioavailable since 0.5 h after administration, reaching a peak between 2 h and 4 h. Serum resistance to oxidation, expressed as difference of tLAG (time point‐0 h), starts to increase from 0.5 h. This increase reaches statistical significance at 4 h (402.3 ± 65.0 s), peaks at 6 h (524.6 ± 62.9 s), and remains statistically significant until 24 h (424.2 ± 48.0 s). oxLDL levels, expressed as %change from 0 h, are reduced significantly from time point‐1 h until time point‐6 h.
Conclusion
Results demonstrate the terpene bioavailability pattern after oral administration of Mastiha. Terpenes are potential mediators of antioxidant defense in vivo.
Bioavailability of terpenes, phytochemicals that are highly present in foods of plant origin, is investigated. Mastiha, a natural medicinal herb of the Mediterranean basin with many culinary usages is administered per os in healthy humans. Results show that terpenes, such as mastihadienonic (MNA), isomastihadienonic (IMNA) moronic acid (MA) and oleanonic acid (OLEA) are detected and quantified in human plasma, and, last but not least, they exhibit favorable effects on oxidative stress.