Urine and Dried Blood Spots From Children and Pregnant Women Reveal Phytochemicals, Amino Acids, and Carnitine Metabolites as Cowpea Consumption Biomarkers

Madison Tipton, Bridget A. Baxter, Brigitte A. Pfluger, Brooke Sayre-Chavez, María Muñoz-Amatriaín, Corey D. Broeckling, Issah Shani, Matilda Steiner-Asiedu, Mark Manary, Elizabeth P. Ryan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Scope: Legumes consumption has been proven to promote health across the lifespan; cowpeas have demonstrated efficacy in combating childhood malnutrition and growth faltering, with an estimated malnutrition prevalence of 35.6% of children in Ghana. This cowpea feeding study aimed to identify a suite of metabolic consumption biomarkers in children and adults. Methods and Results: Urine and dried blood spots (DBS) from 24 children (9-21 months) and 21 pregnant women (>18 years) in Northern Ghana are collected before and after dose-escalated consumption of four cowpea varieties for 15 days. Untargeted metabolomics identified significant increases in amino acids, phytochemicals, and lipids. The carnitine metabolism pathway is represented by 137 urine and 43 DBS metabolites, with significant changes to tiglylcarnitine and acetylcarnitine. Additional noteworthy candidate biomarkers are mansouramycin C, N-acetylalliin, proline betaine, N2, N5-diacetylornithine, S-methylcysteine, S-methylcysteine sulfoxide, and cis-urocanate. S-methylcysteine and S-methylcysteine sulfoxide are targeted and quantified in urine. Conclusion: This feeding study for cowpea biomarkers supports the utility of a suite of key metabolites classified as amino acids, lipids, and phytochemicals for dietary legume and cowpea-specific food exposures of global health importance.

Original languageEnglish
Article number2300222
JournalMolecular Nutrition and Food Research
Volume68
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2024

Keywords

  • cowpea
  • dietary exposure biomarkers
  • dried blood spots
  • metabolism
  • urine

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