Javier Ottaviani, Ph.D.

Education

• BS/MS Biochemistry, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Ph.D., Biochemistry, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Research Interests

Dr. Ottaviani’s interests are in developing and translating innovations in diet and nutrition for health maintenance and optimization in individuals and at the population level. Dr. Ottaviani’s current research is focused on understanding the nutritional relevance of flavanols, procyanidins and other bioactive compounds’ impact on disease prevention and overall health [https://www.marscocoascience.com]. He’s also examining the role of sensors, personal devices and other new technologies in personalized nutrition.

Current research projects include:

1. Characterization of the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of flavanols, procyanidins and other bioactives in support of better understanding the biological effect and safety associated with the intake of these compounds.
2. Development, evaluation and application of nutritional biomarkers to objectively assess diet quality, both in large scale studies and individuals.
3. Design and execution of novel dietary intervention studies to evaluate the use of personalized sensors and devices to tailor dietary recommendations to individuals.

Complete publications [ORCID 0000-0002-4909-0452]

Selected publications

Dietary flavanols restore hippocampal-dependent memory in older adults with lower diet quality and lower habitual flavanol consumption. Brickman AM, Yeung LK, Alschuler DM, Ottaviani JI, Kuhnle GGC, Sloan RP, Luttmann-Gibson H, Copeland T, Schroeter H, Sesso HD, Manson JE, Wall M, Small SA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023 Jun 6;120(23):e2216932120. [Pubmed]

There is no direct competition between arginase and nitric oxide synthase for the common substrate l-arginine. Momma TY, Ottaviani JI. Nitric Oxide. 2022 Sep 17;129:16-24. [Pubmed]

Measuring the intake of dietary bioactives: Pitfalls and how to avoid them. Ottaviani JI, Schroeter H, Kuhnle GGC. Mol Aspects Med. 2022 Aug 25:101139. [Pubmed]

Effect of cocoa flavanol supplementation for the prevention of cardiovascular disease events: the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) randomized clinical trial. Sesso HD, Manson JE, Aragaki AK, Rist PM, Johnson LG, Friedenberg G, Copeland T, Clar A, Mora S, Moorthy MV, Sarkissian A, Carrick WR, Anderson GL; COSMOS Research Group. Am J Clin Nutr. 2022 Jun 7;115(6):1490-1500. [Pubmed]

Multivitamins in the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease: the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) randomized clinical trial. Sesso HD, Rist PM, Aragaki AK, Rautiainen S, Johnson LG, Friedenberg G, Copeland T, Clar A, Mora S, Moorthy MV, Sarkissian A, Wactawski-Wende J, Tinker LF, Carrick WR, Anderson GL, Manson JE; COSMOS Research Group. Am J Clin Nutr. 2022 Jun 7;115(6):1501-1510. [Pubmed]

Validation of a high-throughput method for the quantification of flavanol and procyanidin biomarkers and methylxanthines in plasma by UPLC-MS. Fong RY, Kuhnle GGC, Crozier A, Schroeter H, Ottaviani JI . Food Funct. 2021 Sep 7;12(17):7762-7772. [Pubmed]

Evolution of cocoa flavanol analytics: impact on reporting and cross-study comparison. Bussy U, Ottaviani JI, Kwik-Uribe C. Food Funct. 2021 Apr 26;12(8):3433-3442. [Pubmed]

Single-Laboratory Validation for the Determination of Cocoa Flavanols and Procyanidins (by Degree of Polymerization DP1-7) in Cocoa-Based Products by Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography Coupled with Fluorescence Detection: First Action 2020.05. Bussy U, Hewitt G, Olanrewaju Y, May BR, Anderson N, Ottaviani JI, Kwik-Uribe C. J AOAC Int. 2021 May 21;104(2):413-421. [Pubmed]

Biomarker-estimated flavan-3-ol intake is associated with lower blood pressure in cross-sectional analysis in EPIC Norfolk. Ottaviani JI, Britten A, Lucarelli D, Luben R, Mulligan AA, Lentjes MA, Fong R, Gray N, Grace PB, Mawson DH, Tym A, Wierzbicki A, Forouhi NG, Khaw KT, Schroeter H, Kuhnle GGC. Sci Rep. 2020 Oct 21;10(1):17964. [Pubmed]

Arginase inhibitor, Nω-hydroxy-L-norarginine, spontaneously releases biologically active NO-like molecule: Limitations for research applications. Momma TY, Ottaviani JI. Free Radic Biol Med. 2020 May 20;152:74-82. [Pubmed]

Evaluation of (-)-epicatechin metabolites as recovery biomarker of dietary flavan-3-ol intake. Ottaviani JI, Fong R, Kimball J, Ensunsa JL, Gray N, Vogiatzoglou A, Britten A, Lucarelli D, Luben R, Grace PB, Mawson DH, Tym A, Wierzbicki A, Smith AD, Wareham NJ, Forouhi NG, Khaw KT, Schroeter H, Kuhnle GGC. Sci Rep. 2019 Sep 11;9(1):13108. [Pubmed].

Assessing the respective contributions of dietary flavanol monomers and procyanidins in mediating cardiovascular effects in humans: randomized, controlled, double-masked intervention trial. Rodriguez-Mateos A, Weber T, Skene SS, Ottaviani JI, Crozier A, Kelm M, Schroeter H, Heiss C. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018 Dec 1;108(6):1229-1237. [Pubmed]

Evaluation at scale of microbiome-derived metabolites as biomarker of flavan-3-ol intake in epidemiological studies. Ottaviani JI, Fong R, Kimball J, Ensunsa JL, Britten A, Lucarelli D, Luben R, Grace PB, Mawson DH, Tym A, Wierzbicki A, Khaw KT, Schroeter H, Kuhnle GGC. Sci Rep. 2018 Jun 29;8(1):9859. [Pubmed]

Use of LC-MS for the quantitative analysis of (poly)phenol metabolites does not necessarily yield accurate results: Implications for assessing existing data and conducting future research. Ottaviani JI, Fong RY, Borges G, Schroeter H, Crozier A. Free Radic Biol Med. 2018 Aug 20;124:97-103. [Pubmed]

Recommending flavanols and procyanidins for cardiovascular health: Revisited. Ottaviani JI, Heiss C, Spencer JPE, Kelm M, Schroeter H. Mol Aspects Med. 2018 Jun;61:63-75. [Pubmed]

The metabolome of [2-(14)C](-)-epicatechin in humans: implications for the assessment of efficacy, safety, and mechanisms of action of polyphenolic bioactives. Ottaviani JI, Borges G, Momma TY, Spencer JP, Keen CL, Crozier A, Schroeter H. Sci Rep. 2016 Jul 1;6:29034. [Pubmed]

Safety and efficacy of cocoa flavanol intake in healthy adults: a randomized, controlled, double-masked trial. Ottaviani JI, Balz M, Kimball J, Ensunsa JL, Fong R, Momma TY, Kwik-Uribe C, Schroeter H, Keen CL. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Dec;102(6):1425-35. [PubMed]

Intake of dietary procyanidins does not contribute to the pool of circulating flavanols in humans. Ottaviani JI, Kwik-Uribe C, Keen CL, Schroeter H. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Apr;95(4):851-8. [Pubmed]

The stereochemical configuration of flavanols influences the level and metabolism of flavanols in humans and their biological activity in vivo. Ottaviani JI, Momma TY, Heiss C, Kwik-Uribe C, Schroeter H, Keen CL. Free Radic Biol Med. 2011 Jan 15;50(2):237-44. [Pubmed]