Dietary Polyphenols against Metabolic Disorders: How Far Have We Progressed in the Understanding of the Molecular Mechanisms of Action of These Compounds?

Abstract

The aim of this review was to critically assess the evidence supporting the metabolic and anti-inflammatory effects attributed to polyphenols and the potential mechanisms of action underlying these effects. The metabolic and anti-inflammatory properties of polyphenols and polyphenol-rich products have been shown mostly in rodents. These compounds appear to share multiple mechanisms of action at different body sites (gastrointestinal tract, microbiota, host organs) and the responsible molecules may be the original plant compounds, the microbial metabolites and (or) the host derived conjugates. Polyphenols may modify digestion and absorption of nutrients, microbiota composition and metabolism, and host tissue metabolic pathways but none of these mechanisms have been fully demonstrated in vivo and thus, more and better designed studies are needed. Furthermore, human clinical trials show inconsistent evidence of the metabolic and inflammation regulatory properties of polyphenols. Some of the principal limitations of these studies as well as recommendations to further progress in the understanding of the metabolic effects and mechanisms of action of polyphenols are discussed.

Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Foods and Derived Products Containing Ellagitannins and Anthocyanins on Cardiometabolic Biomarkers: Analysis of Factors Influencing Variability of the Individual Responses

“…On the other hand, the relevance of the genotype-dependent response to dietary constituents is recognized as an additional key variability factor [189]. In this regard, an increasing number of genetic variants has been identified and related to obesity and diet-interaction and, the studied population has been segregated into groups of responders and non-responders in association with the specific genetic variations [190].…”

Based serum metabolomics analysis reveals simultaneous interconnecting changes during chicken embryonic development

“…Metabolic disorders are a major health problem and which associated with a number of metabolic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension and fatty liver disease (Aguayo et al, 2017;Di Sessa, Umano, Miraglia Del Giudice, & Santoro, 2017;Nieves-Cintron, Syed, Nystoriak, & Navedo, 2018). Increased intake of calorie-rich foods and low physical activity have been regarded as the main causes of metabolic disorders, especially obesity in humans (Garcia-Conesa, 2017). The biology of obesity is very complex, and the mechanisms linking obesity to various diseases are poorly understood.…”

Total Polyphenol Intake Is Inversely Associated with a Pro/Anti-Inflammatory Biomarker Ratio in European Adolescents of the HELENA Study

“…More recently, the proinflammatory potential of IL-10 has been described; for example, it can be proinflammatory when administrated during cancer treatment (39), although this effect might not be relevant in our population, since our population was healthy and thus did not use IL-10 treatment. Moreover, the effects of polyphenols depend on the original plant compounds, the host's microbial metabolite production, and host-derived conjugate production (40).…”