Abstract
Epidemiological evidence suggests that diet rich in whole grains reduces the risk of lifestyle-related chronic diseases including cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. Molecular mechanisms responsible for the beneficial health effects are not well known, however, key contributor is the phytochemical and fiber dense bran that is maintained in whole grain based dietary products. Thebran-derived components may have biological role themselves, and also via the colonic microbiota, since the role of diet in shaping the composition of microbiota has become evident, which in turn is an essential contributor to our health. Here we present a study with multiple metabolite profiling assays on a range of experiments involving in vitro, animal, and human based studies, and describe a novel group of compounds that are produced endogenously and by the colonic microbiota. We show that following the braninduced shift in the composition of the microbiota these compounds are elevated in metabolically active organs in mice. Likewise, several of these compounds were increased also in humans after whole grain rich dietary interventions. Furthermore, we suggest their potential bioactive role, via demonstrating their implications in energy metabolism in cultured neonatal mice cardiomyocytes.Taken together, these compounds are one of the possible mediators for the beneficial health effects of whole grain rich diets.