Berry-Enriched Diet in Salt-Sensitive Hypertensive Rats: Metabolic Fate of (Poly)Phenols and the Role of Gut Microbiota

Abstract

Diets rich in (poly)phenols are associated with a reduced reduction in the incidence of cardiovascular disorders. While the absorption and metabolism of (poly)phenols has been described, it is not clear how their metabolic fate is affected under pathological conditions. This study evaluated the metabolic fate of berry (poly)phenols in an in vivo model of hypertension as well as the associated microbiota response. Dahl salt-sensitive rats were fed either a low-salt diet (0.26% NaCl) or a high-salt diet (8% NaCl), with or without a berry mixture (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, Portuguese crowberry and strawberry tree fruit) for 9 weeks. The salt-enriched diet promoted an increase in the urinary excretion of berry (poly)phenol metabolites, while the abundance of these metabolites decreased in faeces, as revealed by UPLC–MS/MS. Moreover, salt and berries modulated gut microbiota composition as demonstrated by 16S rRNA analysis. Some changes in the microbiota composition were associated with the high-salt diet and revealed an expansion of the families Proteobacteria and Erysipelotrichaceae. However, this effect was mitigated by the dietary supplementation with berries. Alterations in the metabolic fate of (poly)phenols occur in parallel with the modulation of gut microbiota in hypertensive rats. Thus, beneficial effects of (poly)phenols could be related with these interlinked modifications, between metabolites and microbiota environments.

A Polyphenol Enriched Variety of Apple Alters Circulating Immune Cell Gene Expression and Faecal Microbiota Composition in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…There is evidence that the presence of specific microbial species or genera can influence the host’s ability to metabolise particular polyphenols, with the bioactivity and bioavailability of many dietary flavonoids being influenced by gastrointestinal microbiome metabolism [ 39 ]. Conversely, although the influence of habitual flavonoid intake on the gut microbiome is poorly understood [ 39 ], a range of human, animal and in vitro studies have demonstrated that polyphenols from a range of different sources, including berries [ 30 , 40 , 41 ], tea [ 42 ], red wine [ 31 , 42 , 43 ] and cocoa [ 44 ] can modulate the relative levels of intestinal (generally colonic or faecal) microbes. These changes to the microbiota may include inhibiting potential pathogens and increasing levels of putative beneficial microbes [ 31 ].…”

“…Sample size was determined based on published studies in which dietary sources rich in polyphenols were assessed for impacts on relative levels of gut microbes. A difference of approximately 1% (SD 1%) was seen in the levels of Bifidobacteria when comparing the consumption of a wild blueberry drink to a placebo drink [ 30 ]. Similarly, in a study investigating red wine polyphenols, differences in Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Roseburia of approximately 1.3 (log10 copies per gram of feces) were observed in healthy participants, with (SD approximately 1.2) [ 31 ].…”

Metabolic Fate and Cardiometabolic Effects of Phenolic Compounds from Red‐Fleshed Apple in Hypercholesterolemic Rats: A Comparative Study with Common White‐Fleshed Apple. The AppleCOR Study

“…Our results are in accordance with a previous study in rats that reported phase II metabolites from protocatechuic acid and vanillic acid in plasma and urine after the intake of an ACN-rich extract. [25] In feces, the metabolites detected were protocatechuic acid and hippuric acid. Although in plasma and urine, phenolic acids were only detected in higher amounts after aronia supplementation, in feces, these metabolites appeared in higher concentration after both apple supplementations compared to aronia (Figure 1D-F).…”

Antioxidant Food Components for the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases: Effects, Mechanisms, and Clinical Studies

“…Also, a study pointed out that tea polyphenols dose-dependently increased the abundance of intestinal Bifidobacteria in high-fat diet-fed ApoE(-/-) mice, and this increase negatively correlated with plaque area/lumen area ratios, suggesting that tea polyphenols could reduce atherosclerosis plaque induced by high-fat diet via increasing intestinal Bifidobacteria [ 95 ]. Furthermore, the intake of berry mixture, including blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, Portuguese crowberry, and strawberry tree fruit, increased the abundance of phylum Bacteroidetes , decreased the abundance of Firmicutes , and reduced the elevated abundance of Proteobacteria induced by a high-salt diet in Dahl salt-sensitive rats [ 96 ].…”