Biofluid 1H NMR-based metabonomic techniques in nutrition research — metabolic effects of dietary isoflavones in humans

A metabonomic approach to nutrition research may provide an insight into in vivo mechanisms of action following nutritional intervention. This approach was applied to investigate changes in the 1H NMR spectral profile of urine collected from controlled dietary intervention studies conducted in premenopausal women before and following soy or miso consumption. The aim of the study was to identify the biochemical effects of a diet rich in soy isoflavones, phytochemicals which are receiving significant attention because of their potential importance to human health and wide bioactivity in vitro. By applying various chemometric techniques to the data the biochemical effects of conjugated and unconjugated isoflavones were determined. The biochemical changes observed suggest that soy isoflavone ingestion had significant effects on several metabolic pathways associated with osmolyte fluctuation and energy metabolism. These biochemical changes were more significant following ingestion of the unconjugated soy isoflavone (miso) diet suggesting that the chemical composition of the isoflavones present in soy-based foods may have an effect on their biological efficacy in vivo. This study describes a novel application for 1H NMR analysis by determining subtle differences in biochemical profiles following dietary intervention and providing further insight into the mechanisms of action of phytochemicals in vivo.