Contamination of food/feedstuffs by mycotoxins is a serious problem worldwide, causing severe economic losses and serious health problems in animals/humans. Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a major mycotoxin contaminant and is known to impair intestinal barrier function. Grapes and red wine are rich in polyphenols, such as resveratrol (RES), which has striking antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. RES is a food-derived component; therefore, it may be simultaneously present with DON in the gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this study was to explore in vitro protective effects of RES against DON-induced intestinal damage. The results showed that RES could protect DON-induced bacteria translocation because of enhanced of intestinal barrier function by restoring the DON-induced decrease in transepithelial electrical resistance and increase in paracellular permeability. Further mechanistic studies demonstrated that RES protects against DON-induced barrier dysfunction by promoting the assembly of claudin-4 in the tight junction complex. This is probably mediated through modulation of IL-6 and IL-8 secretion via mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent pathways. Our results imply that RES can protect against DON-induced intestinal damage and that RES may be used as a novel dietary intervention strategy to reduce DON toxicity in animals/humans.

Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) lining the gastrointestinal tract establish a barrier between external environments and the internal milieu. An intact intestinal barrier maintains gut health and overall good health of the body by preventing from tissue injury, pathogen infection and disease development. When the intestinal barrier function is compromised, bacterial translocation can occur. Our gut microbiota also plays a fundamentally important role in health, for example, by maintaining intestinal barrier integrity, metabolism and modulating the immune system, etc. Any disruption of gut microbiota composition (also termed dysbiosis) can lead to various pathological conditions. In short, intestinal barrier and gut microbiota are two crucial factors affecting gut health. The gastrointestinal tract is a complex environment exposed to many dietary components and commensal bacteria. Dietary components are increasingly recognized to play various beneficial roles beyond basic nutrition, resulting in the development of the functional food concepts. Various dietary modifiers, including the consumption of live bacteria (probiotics) and ingestible food constituents such as prebiotics, as well as polyphenols or synbiotics (combinations of probiotics and prebiotics) are the most well characterized dietary bioactive compounds and have been demonstrated to beneficially impact the gut health and the overall well-being of the host. In this review we depict the roles of intestinal epithelium and gut microbiota in mucosal defence responses and the influence of certain functional food components on the modulation of gut health, with a particular focus on probiotics, prebiotics and polyphenols.

Our results imply that EGCG may be useful for prevention of intestinal disorders or bacterial infection in animals/humans.

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