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Phloem fortification in rye bread elevates serum enterolactone level

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 56, pages 952–957 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective: To analyse the lignan content of phloem powder enriched rye bread and to study the dose–response relationship of the effect of dietary plant lignans derived from phloem on intestinal production of enterolactone by measuring enterolactone concentration in serum.

Design: A randomized double-blind supplementation trial.

Subjects: Seventy-five non-smoking men recruited by newspaper advertisements.

Intervention: Subjects were randomized to three study groups receiving either rye bread high in phloem (HP, 14% of rye flour substituted with phloem powder), rye bread low in phloem (LP, 7% of rye flour substituted with phloem powder) or placebo rye bread. Participants consumed 70 g of study bread daily for 4 weeks and provided serum samples for enterolactone analysis at baseline and at the end of the intervention.

Results: There was a significant increase in serum enterolactone concentration in the LP and HP groups compared with the placebo group (P=0.009 and P=0.003, respectively). Considerable interindividual differences were observed in the response to dietary lignans within the study groups.

Conclusions: Our results indicate that plant lignans attached to insoluble fibre layer in phloem can be further metabolized and converted to enterolactone presumably by the bacteria present in the colon. Phloem powder is useful source of lignans for functional foods aimed to elevate serum enterolactone levels.

Sponsorship: Phloem powder and the study breads were provided by Finnpettu Oy and Linkosuo Oy, respectively. The clinical study work was sponsored in part by Oy Jurilab Ltd.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Adile Samaletdin and Kristiina Nyyssönen for supervising the chemical analyses, Katri Juntunen for help with literature and the personnel of Oy Jurilab Ltd (www.jurilab.com) and of Research Institute of Public Health, University of Kuopio, Finland.

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Author notes

  1. M Vanharanta and JT Salonen: Guarantors: Professor JT Salonen and M Vanharanta.

  2. M Vanharanta, J Mursu, T Nurmi, S Voutilainen, TH Rissanen, R Salonen, H Adlercreutz and JT Salonen: Contributors: MV participated in designing and implemented the study protocol, undertook most of the data analysis and drafted the paper. JM participated in designing and carrying out the study. TN carried out the lignan analysis of the food stuffs. SV participated in designing and contributed to the analysis of the food record data. THR participated in designing and brought up to date the dietary data base. RS as physician examined the participants. HA developed and supervised the enterolactone assays. JTS designed and initiated the study and edited the manuscript. All investigators contributed to the writing of the paper.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Research Institute of Public Health, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland

    M Vanharanta, J Mursu, T Nurmi, S Voutilainen, TH Rissanen, R Salonen & JT Salonen

  2. Folkhälsan Research Center and Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    T Nurmi & H Adlercreutz

  3. The Department of Public Health and General Practice, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland

    TH Rissanen & JT Salonen

  4. The Mediteknia Clinical Research Centre, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland

    R Salonen

  5. The Inner Savo Health Centre, Suonenjoki, Finland

    JT Salonen

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  1. M Vanharanta
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Correspondence to JT Salonen.

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Vanharanta, M., Mursu, J., Nurmi, T. et al. Phloem fortification in rye bread elevates serum enterolactone level. Eur J Clin Nutr 56, 952–957 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601510

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601510

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