Botanical Background and Cultivation ! Aronia berries originate from the eastern parts of North America and East Canada [1], [2], [3]. Their migration to Europe occurred around 1900 via Germany to Russia and back. Around 1946 the plant was established as a cultivar in the former Soviet Union. More recently it is cultivated also in East European countries and Germany (Oberlausitz) [1], [2]. The genus name Aronia has been replacing the common name, chokeberry. Two species can be distinguished: Aronia melanocarpa [Michx.] Elliot (black chokeberry, Aronia noir) and Aronia arbutifolia [L.] Elliot (red chokeberry, Aronia rouge) [3]. A third entity is intermediate and has variously been considered a species (A. prunifolia), a variety of each of the other two, or a hybrid [3]. The other common names for Aronia besides chokeberries include black apple berry and rowanberries (Sorbus aucuparia L.), whereby in the latter case the hybrids of rowanberry with Aronia are likely to be addressed [4], [5], [6]. Aronia is a member of the Rosaceae family, and the cultivars used for fruit production are from the species Aronia melanocarpa [6], [7], [8], [9]. Cultivars have been bred for larger edible fruits and ornamental value. The plants have no known pest problems [10]. Some cultivars are bred of true black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) and some are hybrid cultivars (e. g., Aronia x Sorbus) [5], [11]. The more important cultivars include "Nero" (Czechia), "Rubina" (crossing from Russian and Finnish plants), "Viking" (Finland), "Kurkumäcki" (Finland), "Hugin" (Sweden), "Fertödi" (Hungary) and "Aron" (Denmark) [2]. "Viking" and "Nero" are cultivars that are commonly available in North American plant catalogues [7]. The Aronia shrubs can grow to a height of 2-3 m, which produce in May to June umbels of some 30 small white flowers, ripening to bright red (red chokeberry) or to purplish black berries (black chokeberry; Ø 6-13 mm, 0.5-2 g) [1], [2], [8], [12]. Harvest is performed mechanically between August and September. Five to twelve tons per hectare can be expected in about five years, once plants have matured [7], [8]. The effect of fertiliser rate on fruit quality parameters in the black chokeberry showed that an increased fertiliser application results in increased growth and higher yield whereas pigment content and total acidity decreased. Maximum production of anthocyanins per plant was obtained with a medium high fertiliser rate (50 kg N/ha, 44 kg P/ha, 100 kg K/ ha) [13]. The content of undesirable brown compounds and that of desirable anthocyanins is also dependent on maturation as documented in [11]. A recent study illustrates that applied fertilization may exert a differential influence on the chemical composition of Aronia fruits especially with regard to sugar content and the quantity

trans-Resveratrol metabolism by human gut microbiota shows pronounced interindividual differences, which should be taken into account during investigation of health-related effects of this stilbene. This trial was registered at the German Clinical Trials Register as DRKS00004311, Universal Trial Number (WHO) UTN: U1111-1133-4621.

The gut microflora seem to play an important role in the biotransformation of anthocyanins. A rapid degradation could be one major reason for the poor bioavailability of anthocyanins in pharmacokinetic studies described so far in the literature. The formation of phenolic acids as the major stable degradation products gives an important hint to the fate of anthocyanins in vivo.

Physiological and functional parameters, such as body composition, or physical fitness are known to differ between men and women and to change with age. The goal of this study was to investigate how sex and age-related physiological conditions are reflected in the metabolome of healthy humans and whether sex and age can be predicted based on the plasma and urine metabolite profiles.In the cross-sectional KarMeN (Karlsruhe Metabolomics and Nutrition) study 301 healthy men and women aged 18–80 years were recruited. Participants were characterized in detail applying standard operating procedures for all measurements including anthropometric, clinical, and functional parameters. Fasting blood and 24 h urine samples were analyzed by targeted and untargeted metabolomics approaches, namely by mass spectrometry coupled to one- or comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography or liquid chromatography, and by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This yielded in total more than 400 analytes in plasma and over 500 analytes in urine. Predictive modelling was applied on the metabolomics data set using different machine learning algorithms.Based on metabolite profiles from urine and plasma, it was possible to identify metabolite patterns which classify participants according to sex with > 90% accuracy. Plasma metabolites important for the correct classification included creatinine, branched-chain amino acids, and sarcosine. Prediction of age was also possible based on metabolite profiles for men and women, separately. Several metabolites important for this prediction could be identified including choline in plasma and sedoheptulose in urine. For women, classification according to their menopausal status was possible from metabolome data with > 80% accuracy.The metabolite profile of human urine and plasma allows the prediction of sex and age with high accuracy, which means that sex and age are associated with a discriminatory metabolite signature in healthy humans and therefore should always be considered in metabolomics studies.

Isoflavone phytoestrogens found mainly in soybeans and clover are widely studied phytochemicals. Genistein and daidzein, the major isoflavones found in soy, have received the most attention. However, they undergo extensive metabolism in the intestine and the liver, which might affect their biological properties, e.g. their antioxidant capacities. Furthermore, the biological activities of other naturally occurring isoflavones, for instance, glycitein from soy or biochanin A from red clover, have not yet been studied in detail. The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant activities of six naturally occurring isoflavones and their corresponding oxidative and bacterial metabolites. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay as well as the in vitro oxidation of low density lipoproteins with the conjugated diene and the thiobarbituric acid reacting substances formation as end points were used. The oxidative metabolites of genistein and daidzein as well as equol exhibited the highest antioxidant activities in all three assays. With few exceptions, they were more effective than the positive controls quercetin and ascorbic acid. Formononetin, the 4'-O-methyl ether of daidzein, showed the lowest antioxidant property. Because the antioxidant efficacy of isoflavones as effective antioxidants is evident at concentrations well within the range found in the plasma of subjects consuming soy products, this biological activity could be of physiological relevance.