Untargeted LC-IMS-qToF-MS-Based Lipidomics Approach to Evaluate the Effect of a Polyphenol-Rich Beverage on Human Lipid Profiles

Polyphenols are an important class of secondary metabolites that possess antioxidant or anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with many health benefits. It has been reported that extracts of fruit juices or the fruit juices themselves are able to influence lipid metabolism. The aims of this study were to establish a reliable analytical method and thereafter investigate the influence of a polyphenol-rich fruit juice during an eight-week intervention on plasma lipid profiles in healthy male subjects. A placebo-controlled intervention study with 36 healthy male subjects was carried out. Volunteers consumed 750 mL of a polyphenol-rich or placebo beverage on a daily basis. With the established untargeted LC-IMS-qTof method, lipids could be identified, and changes in the lipidome could be detected. For the first time, a comparison of the lipidome of the control vs. treatment group allowed for the identification of differences in lipid profiles. The observed changes suggest that polyphenol intake leads to the targeted re-modeling of the lipidome, affecting bioactive lipid mediators and membrane components in particular. In the future, our identified lipid markers may be established as potential biomarker candidates related to health.