Phytochemicals That Influence Gut Microbiota as Prophylactics and for the Treatment of Obesity and Inflammatory Diseases

Abstract

Gut microbiota (GM) plays several crucial roles in host physiology and influences several relevant functions. In more than one respect, it can be said that you “feed your microbiota and are fed by it.” GM diversity is affected by diet and influences metabolic and immune functions of the host's physiology. Consequently, an imbalance of GM, or dysbiosis, may be the cause or at least may lead to the progression of various pathologies such as infectious diseases, gastrointestinal cancers, inflammatory bowel disease, and even obesity and diabetes. Therefore, GM is an appropriate target for nutritional interventions to improve health. For this reason, phytochemicals that can influence GM have recently been studied as adjuvants for the treatment of obesity and inflammatory diseases. Phytochemicals include prebiotics and probiotics, as well as several chemical compounds such as polyphenols and derivatives, carotenoids, and thiosulfates. The largest group of these comprises polyphenols, which can be subclassified into four main groups: flavonoids (including eight subgroups), phenolic acids (such as curcumin), stilbenoids (such as resveratrol), and lignans. Consequently, in this review, we will present, organize, and discuss the most recent evidence indicating a relationship between the effects of different phytochemicals on GM that affect obesity and/or inflammation, focusing on the effect of approximately 40 different phytochemical compounds that have been chemically identified and that constitute some natural reservoir, such as potential prophylactics, as candidates for the treatment of obesity and inflammatory diseases.

Cannabis Microbiome and the Role of Endophytes in Modulating the Production of Secondary Metabolites: An Overview

“…Strategic and applied research on the impact of microbial composition concerning human health recognizes the role of prebiotics that includes changes in the structure and diversity of the microbiota and stimulation of the activity of health-promoting bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria [39,40]. One of the hot topics in gut microbiota is the nutritional strategy of adding dietary phytochemical compounds such as the secondary metabolites, flavonols, and quercetin, which can influence the immune function of the host physiology [41,42]. It is worthwhile mentioning that flavonoids and quercetin are important phytochemicals in cannabis, and their combination makes them potent antioxidants [7].…”

Pharmacological basis and new insights of resveratrol action in the cardiovascular system

“…Before entering the bloodstream by passive diffusion or by interacting with membrane transporters, resveratrol can be readily metabolized by intestinal microbiota and such resveratrol metabolites favour the intestinal microbiota towards a more healthy phenotype (Carrera‐Quintanar et al, ). In rodents, resveratrol‐induced changes in microbiota composition are associated with decreased body weight gain, reduced adiposity, improved insulin sensitivity, and restored blood pressure (Bird, Raederstorff, Weber, & Steinert, ).…”

Interactions of tea polyphenols with intestinal microbiota and their implication for cellular signal conditioning mechanism

“…Intestinal microbiota is important in host physiology that can effect some related functions. Diet can influence diversity, as well as metabolism and immune system for the host physiology (Carrera‐Quintanar et al, ). Generally, there are over 1,000 kinds of phylotypes in a healthy gut, which belong to some phyla.…”