Direct analysis of glucuronidated metabolites of main olive oil phenols in human urine after dietary consumption of virgin olive oil

In the present study we report on a UPLC-MRM validated method for the simultaneous direct analysis of main glucuronidated metabolites of olive oil phenols: tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol and its O-methyl metabolite homovanillyl alcohol in human urine after dietary olive oil ingestion. The developed method was linear within the concentration range 20–2000 ng/mL with adequate recovery of analytes (>86%). Intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy were according to standard requirements for method validation criteria. Using the developed method, urinary concentrations and excretion rates of glucuronides of olive oil phenols were successfully estimated in an intervention study with 11 healthy volunteers supplemented with a dietary dose of virgin olive oil (VOO) (50 mL). Therefore, about 13% of the consumed olive oil polyphenols were recovered in 24-h urine, where 75% of them were in the form of glucuronides (3′- and 4′-O-hydroxytyrosol glucuronides, 4′-O-glucuronides of tyrosol and homovanillyl alcohol) and 25% as free compounds.