Evaluation of the daily intake of polyphenols depends on the exact characterization of the diet and on knowledge of correct polyphenol concentrations in consumed food. Inaccuracies in nutrition surveys and in applied food data can frequently lead to biases in calculation of intake. Therefore biomarker readings are regarded as reasonable alternatives and essential complement for validation of postulated effects in man. Consequently the analysis of polyphenols in human blood plasma represents a suitable approach to understand the state of supply with these food components. Due to lacking data on the various polyphenolic substances in human blood plasma, the interplay between given polyphenols is yet very much untried though and most existing assays include only single polyphenols or a particular subclass of flavonoids or phenolic acids. Hence in this investigation a sensitive, valid analysis method was used for food, human blood plasma, erythrocytes and urine samples. For this method 14 flavonoids from 5 subclasses as well as 6 hydroxybenzoic acids and 3 hydroxycinnamic acids were simultaneously detected in small plasma volumes. Thereupon, this method was used to investigate, quantify and evaluate the selected polyphenols in human blood plasma within the scope of the BVS II – study. In addition, concentrations of selected polyphenols were ascertained in plasma of participants from a case-control-study on pre-menopausal breast cancer within the scope of the EPIC-survey and possible effects on the risk for breast cancer were studied. Furthermore, in the course of an intervention-study on the absorption of apigenin its concentrations were determined in human blood plasma, erythrocytes and urine and interpersonal variation of apigenin were defined in eleven healthy participants to test its bioavailability.
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