The effect of resveratrol (RV) intake has been reviewed in several studies performed in humans with different health status. The purpose of this review is to summarize the results of clinical trials of the last decade, in which RV was determined in biological samples such as human plasma, urine, and feces. The topics covered include RV bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, effects on cardiovascular diseases, cognitive diseases, cancer, type 2 diabetes (T2D), oxidative stress, and inflammation states. The overview of the recent research reveals a clear tendency to identify RV in plasma, showing that its supplementation is safe. Furthermore, RV bioavailability depends on several factors such as dose, associated food matrix, or time of ingestion. Notably, enterohepatic recirculation of RV has been observed, and RV is largely excreted in the urine within the first four hours after consumption. Much of the research on RV in the last 10 years has focused on its effects on pathologies related to oxidative stress, inflammatory biomarkers, T2D, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological diseases.

The role of gut microbiota in human health has been investigated extensively in recent years. The association of dysbiosis, detrimental changes in the colonic population, with several health conditions has led to the development of pro-, pre- and symbiotic foods. If not absorbed in the small intestine or secreted in bile, polyphenols and other food components can reach the large intestine where they are susceptible to modification by the microbial population, resulting in molecules with potentially beneficial health effects. This review provides an overview of studies that have detected and/or quantified microbial phenolic metabolites using high-performance liquid chromatography as the separation technique, followed by detection through mass spectrometry. Both in vitro experimental studies and human clinical trials are covered. Although many of the microbial phenolic metabolites MPM) reported in in vitro studies were identified in human samples, further research is needed to associate them with clinical health outcomes.

This study aimed to develop and validate a liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-linear ion trap quadrupole-Orbitrap-high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-LTQ-Orbitrap-HRMS) method to identify and quantify urinary microbial phenolic metabolites (MPM), as well as to explore the relationship between MPM and dietary (poly)phenols in Spanish adolescents. A total of 601 spot urine samples of adolescents aged 12.02 ± 0.41 years were analyzed. The quantitative method was validated for linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantification, recovery, intra- and inter-day accuracy and precision, as well as postpreparative stability according to the criteria established by the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists International. A total of 17 aglycones and 37 phase II MPM were identified and quantified in 601 spot urine samples. Phenolic acids were the most abundant urinary MPM, whereas stilbenes, hydroxytyrosol, and enterodiol were the least abundant. Urinary hydroxycoumarin acids (urolithins) were positively correlated with flavonoid and total (poly)phenol intake. An HPLC-ESI-LTQ-Orbitrap-HRMS method was developed and fully validated to quantify MPM. The new method was performed accurately and is suitable for MPM quantification in large epidemiological studies. Urinary lignans and urolithins are proposed as potential biomarkers of grain and nut intake in an adolescent population.

Nowadays, sweet potato (Ipomoea batata L.; Lam.) is considered a very interesting nutritive food because it is rich in complex carbohydrates, but as a tubercle, contains high amounts of health-promoting secondary metabolites. The aim of this review is to summarize the most recently published information on this root vegetable, focusing on its bioactive phytochemical constituents, potential effects on health, and the impact of processing technologies. Sweet potato is considered an excellent source of dietary carotenoids, and polysaccharides, whose health benefits include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity, cardiovascular protection, anticancer properties and improvement in neurological and memory capacity, metabolic disorders, and intestinal barrier function. Moreover, the purple sweet potato, due to its high anthocyanin content, represents a unique food option for consumers, as well as a potential source of functional ingredients for healthy food products. In this context, the effects of commercial processing and domestic cooking techniques on sweet potato bioactive compounds require further study to understand how to minimize their loss.