title: Specific dietary preferences are linked to differing gut microbial metabolic activity in response to dark chocolate intake.
abstract: Systems biology approaches are providing novel insights into the role of nutrition for the management of health and disease. In the present study, we investigated if dietary preference for dark chocolate in healthy subjects may lead to different metabolic response to daily chocolate consumption. Using NMR- and MS-based metabolic profiling of blood plasma and urine, we monitored the metabolic response of 10 participants stratified as chocolate desiring and eating regularly dark chocolate (CD) and 10 participants stratified as chocolate indifferent and eating rarely dark chocolate (CI) to a daily consumption of 50 g of dark chocolate as part of a standardized diet over a one week period. We demonstrated that preference for chocolate leads to different metabolic response to chocolate consumption. Daily intake of dark chocolate significantly increased HDL cholesterol by 6% and decreased polyunsaturated acyl ether phospholipids. Dark chocolate intake could also induce an improvement in the metabolism of long chain fatty acid, as noted by a compositional change in plasma fatty acyl carnitines. Moreover, a relationship between regular long-term dietary exposure to a small amount of dark chocolate, gut microbiota, and phenolics was highlighted, providing novel insights into biological processes associated with cocoa bioactives.
authors.affiliation: Nestlé Research Center, Vers-chez-les-Blanc, CH-1000 Lausanne 26, Switzerland. francois-pierre.martin@rd.nestle.com
authors.forename: Francois-Pierre J
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Montoliu
authors.forename: Kornél
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moco
authors.forename: Sebastiano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Collino
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guy
authors.forename: Karine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Redeuil
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scherer
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rezzi
authors.forename: Sunil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kochhar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine; D002099:Cacao / Q000378:metabolism*; D002182:Candy; D002331:Carnitine / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D055442:Metabolome; D055432:Metabolomics / Q000379:methods; D054892:Metagenome; D008875:Middle Aged; D010742:Phospholipid Ethers / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D059808:Polyphenols / Q000652:urine; D013997:Time Factors; D016482:Urinalysis / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D010742:Phospholipid Ethers; D059808:Polyphenols; D002331:Carnitine