A Validated LC-MS/MS Method for Quantifying Phenolic Acids, Lignans, and Enterolignans from Human Fecal Samples

The human gut is home to numerous small molecules that impact health. Three prominent classes of molecules in this environment are phenolic acids, lignans, and enterolignans, which have been linked to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects as well as protection from cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegeneration. The abundance of these molecules in the intestine as well as their biological significance motivated the development and validation of the LC-MS/MS method reported herein, which provides a simple, robust, and high-throughput approach to simultaneously quantify a 22-membered panel of phenolic acids, lignans, and enterolignans in human fecal samples. Facile sample preparation and a short analytical time (5 min per sample, compared to similar methods that range from 7.8-28 min) allow for high throughput. A 16-fold increase in sensitivity allows for quantitation of lignans that are often not detected via existing methods.