Dietary polyphenol and microbiota interactions in the context of prostate health

Abstract

Recent data strongly indicate a relationship between prostate health and gut microbiota, in which composition and physiological function strictly depend on dietary patterns. The bidirectional interplay of foods containing polyphenols, such as ellagitannins, condensed tannins, lignans, isoflavones, and prenylated flavonoids with human gut microbiota, has been proven to contribute to their impact on prostate health. Considering the attributed role of dietary polyphenols in the prevention of prostate diseases, this paper aims to critically review the studies concerning the influence of polyphenols' postbiotic metabolites on processes associated with the pathophysiology of prostate diseases. Clinical, in vivo, and in vitro studies on polyphenols have been juxtaposed with the current knowledge regarding their pharmacokinetics, microbial metabolism, and potential interactions with microbiota harboring different niches of the human organism. Directions of future research on dietary polyphenols regarding their interaction with microbiota and prostate health have been indicated.

In Vitro Prebiotic Effects and Antibacterial Activity of Five Leguminous Honeys

“…Studies are in progress to characterize some classes of molecules, such as polyphenols and volatile compounds, present in these five types of honey and giving also rise from pollen and nectar [ 73 ], which presence is related to the geographical area of origin and to the botanical species from which it derives [ 74 ], and that can affect the biological properties of the honey, including the antibacterial and prebiotic activity [ 75 ]. These results represent, also the basis for further study about the discovery and study of single molecules or their mixtures with post-biotic activity, deriving from the fermentation of polyphenols and volatile compounds present in honey used by probiotics as an energy source, and that could provide health benefits to the host [ 76 , 77 , 78 ]. Therefore, such aspect has been recently studied in other bee products and bacteria isolated by the bee [ 79 , 80 ] and can be applicable to conventional probiotics, such as Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus or Lacticaseibacillus paracasei [ 81 ], two of the five strains of probiotics studied in the present work.…”

Overview of BPH: Symptom Relief with Dietary Polyphenols, Vitamins and Phytochemicals by Nutraceutical Supplements with Implications to the Prostate Microbiome

“…One report examined the gut–prostate axis, where dietary influences such as a high-fat diet caused gut dysbiosis and gut bacterial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids and phospholipids that enter the systemic circulation in the promotion of prostate cancer growth [ 94 ]. Another report by Piwowarski et al in 2021 attributed the role of the microbiota via the influence of polyphenol’s postbiotic metabolites in providing protective mechanism(s) in the pathophysiology of prostate disorders [ 95 ]. Finally, in 2022, Kumar et al reviewed the protective effects of green tea catechins on prostate cancer chemoprevention, and the role the gut microbiome may play (by the metabolism of catechins by gut microbes) to make them more accessible to the body to exert their beneficial health effects [ 96 ].…”

Relationship between Dietary Polyphenols and Gut Microbiota: New Clues to Improve Cognitive Disorders, Mood Disorders and Circadian Rhythms

“…These reactions culminate in dissociating the bound polyphenols and releasing them as free polyphenols. After intestinal microorganisms have freed dietary-bound polyphenols, the free polyphenols that enter the colon directly can be further metabolized and degraded by the action of intestinal microorganisms [ 70 ]. The metabolic degradation of free polyphenols by intestinal microorganisms is mainly achieved through the action of a series of enzymes secreted by the intestine.…”