Discovery of steroidal alkaloid metabolites and their accumulation in pigs after short-term tomato consumption.

Studies suggest steroidal alkaloids contribute to the health properties of tomato-rich diets. Untargeted studies have detected tomato steroidal alkaloid metabolites in plasma, tissues, and urine, but concentrations remain unknown. Here we utilize UHPLC-MS/MS to characterize 31 steroidal alkaloid metabolites representing 10 unique masses, and a validated UHPLC-MS method to quantify them in blood plasma. In a two-week parallel-arm study, piglets (n = 20) were fed diets containing 10 % tomato powder or a macronutrient-matched control. Concentrations averaged to 107.7 nmol/L plasma, comprising of phase I (66 %) and phase II (4.5 %) metabolites. Primary phase I metabolites were hydroxylated isomers. MS/MS fragments (m/z 253, 271, 289) in conjunction with analysis of diet profile provided higher confidence when identifying hydroxylated metabolites. These results are the first to report quantitative levels of steroidal alkaloid metabolites in plasma, contributing to an understanding of physiologically relevant concentrations. This data is useful for contextualizing research on the health benefits of tomatoes.