(P15-020-23) Misalignment Between Diet and Sleep May Modify the Profile of Fecal Phenolic Microbial Metabolites: A Preliminary Approach

Objectives: Circadian misalignment (CM; desynchrony between lifestyle behaviors and the light-dark cycle) has been shown to affect energy balance and various metabolic pathways, but its effects on the microbial transformations of polyphenols have not been explored. We performed a preliminary assessment of the influence of CM on polyphenol metabolic fate in adults with overweight/obesity.

Methods: We examined phenolic metabolites in 8 adults who participated in a study aimed at assessing the influence of meal timing on energy balance. The study had a randomized, crossover design with two 6-week intervention periods (separated by a washout): sleep-diet alignment (CA) and sleep-diet misalignment (CM). In CA, participants consumed scheduled meals between 1 and 11 h after awakening; in CM, scheduled meals were delayed by 4 h. Fecal samples were collected pre-study, after 2 weeks of controlled feeding conditions, and after 4 subsequent weeks of ad libitumeating for each intervention period. An aqueous extraction was applied to the homogenized samples, followed by injection into an Acquity high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, quadrupole time of flight analyzer (UPLC-QTOF MS) system. Based on the literature, a database of >150 phenolic metabolites was built. Identity of the suggested compounds was based on exact mass. Comparisons of the different dietary interventions and times were performed by applying paired t-tests, once data normality was confirmed.

Results: Two microbial-derived phenolic metabolites, 3- or 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and 3- or 4-hydroxyphenylcetic acid, were significantly modified (p < 0.05) in study participants at 6 weeks of CM, as compared with CA. No other differences were found, for example comparing phenolic metabolites between intervention periods at 2 weeks or comparing change from baseline to 6 weeks within each intervention period.

Conclusions: Following a diet misaligned with sleep decreased concentrations of two microbial-derived fecal phenolic metabolites. Alterations in the metabolic fate of polyphenols might be another adverse effect of circadian misalignment and future studies should test this.

Funding Sources: NHLBI, Fullbright Commission, Spanish Ministry of Universities-Mobility Program for Senior Researchers