Berry Polyphenols and Fibers Modulate Distinct Microbial Metabolic Functions and Gut Microbiota Enterotype-Like Clustering in Obese Mice

Abstract

Berries are rich in polyphenols and plant cell wall polysaccharides (fibers), including cellulose, hemicellulose, arabinans and arabino-xyloglucans rich pectin. Most of polyphenols and fibers are known to be poorly absorbed in the small intestine and reach the colon where they interact with the gut microbiota, conferring health benefits to the host. This study assessed the contribution of polyphenol-rich whole cranberry and blueberry fruit powders (CP and BP), and that of their fibrous fractions (CF and BF) on modulating the gut microbiota, the microbial functional profile and influencing metabolic disorders induced by high-fat high-sucrose (HFHS) diet for 8 weeks. Lean mice-associated taxa, including Akkermansia muciniphila, Dubosiella newyorkensis, and Angelakisella, were selectively induced by diet supplementation with polyphenol-rich CP and BP. Fiber-rich CF also triggered polyphenols-degrading families Coriobacteriaceae and Eggerthellaceae. Diet supplementation with polyphenol-rich CP, but not with its fiber-rich CF, reduced fat mass depots, body weight and energy efficiency in HFHSfed mice. However, CF reduced liver triglycerides in HFHS-fed mice. Importantly, polyphenol-rich CP-diet normalized microbial functions to a level comparable to that of Chow-fed controls. Using multivariate association modeling, taxa and predicted functions distinguishing an obese phenotype from healthy controls and berry-treated mice were identified. The enterotype-like clustering analysis underlined the link between a long-term diet intake and the functional stratification of the gut microbiota. The supplementation of a HFHS-diet with polyphenol-rich CP drove mice gut microbiota from Firmicutes/Ruminococcus enterotype into an enterotype linked to healthier host status, which is Prevotella/Akkermansiaceae. This study highlights the prebiotic role of polyphenols, and their contribution to the compositional and functional modulation of the gut microbiota, counteracting obesity.

Paternal Methyl Donor Supplementation in Rats Improves Fertility, Physiological Outcomes, Gut Microbial Signatures and Epigenetic Markers Altered by High Fat/High Sucrose Diet

“…Further, there has been a suggestion that members of the order Coriobacteriales may be indicators of a healthy gut microbiota community [ 59 ]. It is of interest that supplementing a HF/S diet with polyphenol-rich cranberry powder increased the relative abundance of both Coriobacteriales and Eggerthellaceae in mice [ 60 ]. Eggerthellaceae , which has been linked to positive effects in lipid metabolism, was also inversely correlated with body weight gain in mice [ 60 ].…”

“…It is of interest that supplementing a HF/S diet with polyphenol-rich cranberry powder increased the relative abundance of both Coriobacteriales and Eggerthellaceae in mice [ 60 ]. Eggerthellaceae , which has been linked to positive effects in lipid metabolism, was also inversely correlated with body weight gain in mice [ 60 ]. Although relatively little is known about the genera Adlercreutzia , it has been shown in pubertal human subjects to be positively associated with testosterone [ 61 ].…”

Polyphenol-Mediated Gut Microbiota Modulation: Toward Prebiotics and Further

“…Frontiers in Nutrition | www.frontiersin.org families (i.e., Adlercreutzia equolifaciens) in the gut microbiota of humans and animals (19,72,122,139), two families displaying unique ability to break down (poly)phenols and transform them into trophic growth factors. Among the species belonging to these families, Gordonibacter spp., Eggerthella lenta, and A. equolifaciens have been identified as (poly)phenols-degrading gut bacteria (140).…”

Bovine Lactoferrin Protects Dextran Sulfate Sodium Salt Mice Against Inflammation and Impairment of Colonic Epithelial Barrier by Regulating Gut Microbial Structure and Metabolites

“…These metabolites were beneficial to the intestinal barrier. Selective prebiotic-like effects on Akkermansiaceae also participated in the composition and metabolism of the flora and made the damaged intestines develop toward a healthy direction ( 31 ). However, the role of Lachnospiraceae and Bacteroidaceae for the host was still controversial ( 32 ).…”