Bioaccessibility and Bioavailability of Diet Polyphenols and Their Modulation of Gut Microbiota

Abstract

It is generally accepted that diet-derived polyphenols are bioactive compounds with several potentially beneficial effects on human health. In general, polyphenols have several chemical structures, and the most representative are flavonoids, phenolic acids, and stilbenes. It should be noted that the beneficial effects of polyphenols are closely related to their bioavailability and bioaccessibility, as many of them are rapidly metabolized after administration. Polyphenols—with a protective effect on the gastrointestinal tract—promote the maintenance of the eubiosis of the intestinal microbiota with protective effects against gastric and colon cancers. Thus, the benefits obtained from dietary supplementation of polyphenols would seem to be mediated by the gut microbiota. Taken at certain concentrations, polyphenols have been shown to positively modulate the bacterial component, increasing Lactiplantibacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. involved in the protection of the intestinal barrier and decreasing Clostridium and Fusobacterium, which are negatively associated with human well-being. Based on the diet–microbiota–health axis, this review aims to describe the latest knowledge on the action of dietary polyphenols on human health through the activity of the gut microbiota and discusses micro-encapsulation of polyphenols as a strategy to improve the microbiota.

Mediterranean diet adherence and sleep pattern: a systematic review of observational studies

“…MD can also improve adiposity and body weight, blood pressure, blood lipids, glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity that may beneficially affect brain function, cognition, and mood which are also important to sleep [ 56 , 57 ]. Moreover, it is considered that gut microbiota mediate sleep effects of the MD as some of them can promote higher production of SCFA and serotonin, and improve oxidative stress, inflammation, neurologic, and cognitive functions [ 58 , 59 ]. In addition, olive oil favorably changed gut microbiota composition and metabolic function, maybe by increasing SCFA production [ 58 ].…”

Probiotics: Bridging the interplay of a healthy gut and psychoneurological well‐being

“…Antibiotic overuse, environmental toxins, gut infections, chronic stress, and consumption of unhealthy diets emerge as formidable adversaries in this intricate interplay. Pervasive antibiotic use indiscriminately disrupts the gut microbiota, fostering dysbiosis and compromising gut barrier integrity, which may predispose individuals to neuroinflammation and cognitive impairments (Lippolis et al, 2023). Similarly, exposure to environmental toxins and gut infections can impair gut barrier function, eliciting neuroinflammatory responses that contribute to the pathogenesis of neurological and psychological disorders.…”

Polyphenols as a new class of prebiotics for gut microbiota manipulation

“…The beneficial effects of phenolic compounds have usually been explained by their potent antioxidative properties; however, a plethora of other health-promoting activities have been associated with the consumption of polyphenols and phenolic acids, including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticarcinogenic, neuroprotective, antiadipogenic and immunomodulatory activities, among others (62)(63)(64). Although in vitro studies have proven a remarkable free-radicals scavenging activity, the in vivo antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds is not solely based on the free radicals elimination, as it involves the regulation of the activity of endogenous antioxidant enzymes and more complex molecular mechanisms associated with the modulation of gene transcription and cellular signaling pathways (43).…”

“…Studies have shown that polyphenols exert prebiotic effects through the selective growth stimulation of beneficial microorganisms, including species belonging to the genera Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Akkermansia, Roseburia, Ruminococcus, Blautia, Dorea and Faecalibacterium (13,63,72). For example, stimulatory effects on the growth of Lactobacillus, Akkermansia, and Ruminococcus species were observed after the intake of orange juice, rich in hesperidin and naringenin (73).…”