Combined Markers to Assess Meat Intake—Human Metabolomic Studies of Discovery and Validation

Abstract

Scope Biomarkers of red meat may clarify the relationship between meat intake and health. This paper explores the discovery of biomarkers of intake for three types of meat with varying heme iron content. Candidate biomarkers for red and general meat are further evaluated based on defined validation criteria. Methods and results In a randomized cross‐over meal study, healthy volunteers consume a randomized sequence of four test meals: chicken, pork, beef, and a control made of egg white and pea. Fasting and postprandial urine samples are collected to cover 48 h and profiled by untargeted LC‐ESI‐qTOF‐MS metabolomics. The profiles following the meal challenges are explored by univariate and multivariate analyses. Nine red, four white, and eight general meat biomarkers are selected as putative biomarkers, originating from collagen degradation, flavour compounds, and amino acid metabolism. Heme‐related metabolites are masked by the chlorophyll content of the control meal. The candidate biomarkers are confirmed in an independent meal study and validated for plausibility, robustness, time‐response, and prediction performance. Combinations of biomarkers are more efficient than single markers in predicting meat intake. Conclusion New combinations of partially validated biomarkers are proposed to assess terrestrial meat intake and thus help disentangle the effects of meat consumption on human health.

Specificity, Dose Dependency, and Kinetics of Markers of Chicken and Beef Intake Using Targeted Quantitative LC‐MS/MS: A Human Intervention Trial

“…A number of metabolites have been postulated to function as biomarkers for meat consumption. A recent study compared chicken, beef, and pork intake as well as a nonmeat protein source and evaluated the metabolite response in urine by applying untargeted metabolomics . A set of compounds was acquired with high selectivity for the meat type.…”

“…Our findings show that π‐M‐His and anserine best reflect the amount of chicken meat consumed. This is in line with previous results proposing these two compounds as specific meat markers . Interestingly, these compounds also reflect best the dose of beef consumed in our study, although at much lower plasma levels.…”

“…To achieve accurate estimations of the amount of red meat consumed, novel compound classes clearly need to be investigated. Recently, Cuparencu et al . found a number of putative red meat intake markers, mainly hydroxyproline‐containing di‐ and tri‐peptides that were not part of our analysis.…”

“…Furthermore, the recent work by Cuparencu et al. compared the intake of chicken, pork, beef, and a control protein source in an untargeted metabolomics approach and reported a set of compounds derived from collagen degradation, amino acid metabolism as well as flavor compounds, which were validated for plausibility, robustness, time‐response, and prediction performance …”

Discovery of Intake Biomarkers of Lentils, Chickpeas, and White Beans by Untargeted LC–MS Metabolomics in Serum and Urine

“…A subgroup of eight participants underwent the fourth intervention with white beans, which was scheduled later. The subjects were on average 28 ± 6 years old (range: [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37] and had a BMI of 23.8 ± 3.6 kg m −2 (range: 18.6-28.9).…”