Determinants of plasma alkylresorcinol concentration in Danish postmenopausal women

Rikard Landberg (1) , Afaf Kamal-Eldin (1) , Per Åman (1) , Jane Christensen (1) , Anne Tjonneland (1) , Prof. Kim Overvad (1) , Anja Olsen (1)

1 department of Food Science

Background: Alkylresorcinols (AR), a group of phenolic lipids present in the outer parts of wheat and rye grain kernels, have been suggested as biomarkers of whole-grain wheat and rye intake. In this study we investigated potential determinants of plasma AR concentration in a free-living population. Subjects/Methods: Non-fasting samples from postmenopausal women enrolled in the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health study (n=360) were selected. Diet was assessed using a semi-quantitative FFQ and the association between food items likely to contain AR as well as relevant non-dietary factors were studied by ANCOVA-models. Results: The median AR concentration was 78 nmol/l (interquartile range (IQR) = 106.9 nmol/l). Intake of rye bread, identified as the main determinant, was associated with 87% higher plasma total AR concentration per 100 g bread (95% CI= 46-139%). About 8-12 % of the total variation (depending on AR homologue) in plasma AR concentration was explained by the selected dietary variables. At a nutrient level, total dietary fiber and cereal fiber were significantly associated with plasma total AR concentration (P=0.05), but only ≈2 % of the total plasma AR concentration was explained by the dietary fiber or cereal fiber intake. Conclustion: In the studied population, AR plasma concentration was mainly affected by rye bread intake among investigated determinants.

Mots clés: : Alkylresorcinols; determinant; biomarker; whole grain; wheat; rye

Rikard Landberg, Afaf Kamal-Eldin, Per Åman, Jane Christensen, Anne Tjonneland, et al.. Determinants of plasma alkylresorcinol concentration in Danish postmenopausal women. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2010, ⟨10.1038/ejcn.2010.193⟩. ⟨hal-00578707⟩