Avenanthramides and avenacosides as biomarkers of oat intake: a pharmacokinetic study of solid and liquid oat consumption under single and repeated dose conditions

Journal article, 2025

Background: Avenanthramides (AVAs) and Avenacosides (AVEs) are unique to oats (Avena Sativa) and may serve as biomarkers of oat intake. However, information regarding their validity as food intake biomarkers is missing. We aimed to investigate critical validation parameters such as half-lives, dose-response, matrix effects, relative bioavailability under single dose, and in relation to the abundance of Feacalibacterium prausnitzii, and under repeated dosing, to understand the potential applications of AVAs and AVEs as biomarkers of oat intake. Methods: Twenty-one healthy participants consumed two oat products (solid and liquid) in a non-blinded randomized crossover study for the pharmacokinetics (PK) assessment of multiple AVAs (2p, 2c,2f, 2fd and 2pd) and AVEs (A and B). At phase I, postprandial data were collected after a single dose of either product. At phase II, fasting sample was drawn after a 4-days repeated dose setup. The postprandial data were used in a compartmental PK model and the PK parameters were consequently utilized to predict individual plasma concentrations, which were compared with the data of the second phase of the study. Results: Tmax values were shorter in liquid compared to solid form for AVAs (0.7–1.6 h and 1.1–2.3 h, respectively). In liquid, T1/2 were 1.3 h (AVA 2p and AVA 2fd), 3.2 h (AVA 2f, AVE A) and 2.5 h (AVA 2pd, AVE B). In solid form, T1/2 were shorter for AVAs (1.4–2.6 h) compared to AVEs (3.3–3.8 h). The normalized area under the curve (AUCnorm) was greater for liquid than solid form for AVA2p, 2f and AVE-A [0.7–27 nM∙h (liquid), 0.4–20.1 (solid)] while for AVE-B AUCnorm were comparable [1.8 ± 0.2 nM∙h (liquid),2.1 ± 0.3 nM∙h (solid)]. A pharmakcokinetic prediction model described 75% of the experimental plasma-concentration data from phase II, with good agreement (bias: -0.145 nM). Conclusions: AVAs are promising candidates as compliance biomarkers of oat intake in intervention studies regardless of the tested food matrices. However, due to their short elimination half-lives, their applicability in nutritional epidemiology where long-term habitual intake is of main interest, seems restricted. Clinical trial number: This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov with the clinical trial number: NCT05511077, on August 22nd, 2022.