Recent Advances and Perspectives on the Health Benefits of Urolithin B, A Bioactive Natural Product Derived From Ellagitannins

Abstract

Urolithin (Uro) B is a natural compound produced by gut bacteria from ingested ellagitannins (ETs) and ellagic acid (EA), complex polyphenols abundant in foods such as pomegranates, raspberries, blueberries and chestnuts. Uro B has recently garnered considerable attention owing to its wide range of nutraceutical effects and relatively high potency. According to several studies, Uro B prevents the development of hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and tumors due to its strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Many reviews have systematically summarized the health benefits and pharmacological activities of ETs, EA and urolithins (especially Uro A) while available reviews or detailed summaries on the positive impact of Uro B are rarer. Here, we sought to review the pharmacological activity, mechanism of action, regulation of immune function and its associated diseases and preventive potential of Uro B to elucidate its function as a nutritional agent in humans.

Pomegranate peel extract protects against the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy in rats by inhibiting pyroptosis and downregulating LncRNA-MALAT1

“…Punicalagin demonstrated a cardioprotective effect in diabetic conditions where it significantly decreased elevated cTn-1 to normal levels, attenuated IL-1b, IL-6, and TNF-α, and ameliorated the lipid profile in a streptozotocin-induced diabetic model ( El-Missiry et al, 2015 ). Urolithin compounds A and B prevent the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy ( Savi et al, 2017 ; Chen et al, 2022 ; Selma et al, 2021) by increasing the expression of sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum calcium ATPase 2 (SERCA2) and the activation of SIRT1; consequently, glycolysis is increased via a positive modulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase activity and ameliorated cardiac function. The anti-inflammatory effect of urolithin B was evidenced by a decrease in some inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and IL-1β through the inhibition of nuclear factor-κ-gene binding (NF-κB) activation and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK).…”

The Potential of Flavonoids and Flavonoid Metabolites in the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Pathology in Disorders of Cognitive Decline

“…Flavonoid metabolites that retain or exceed the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity of the intact flavonoid indicate these have potent therapeutic potential. Furthermore, some flavonoid metabolites display biological activities not evident in the native flavonoid, which can be of therapeutic utility in the treatment of pathological neurodegenerative features in AD, PD, and HD by inhibiting the assembly and promoting the disassembly of protein aggregates in these disorders, reducing apoptosis of neurons and improving memory reducing cognitive decline in these neurodegenerative diseases [ 20 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 190 , 194 , 197 , 207 , 355 , 356 , 357 ].…”

The interplay between herbal medicines and gut microbiota in metabolic diseases

“…However, their gut microbial metabolites, urolithins (urolithin A, B, C, and D), are more readily absorbed and have better bioavailability than ellagitannins (Espin et al, 2007;Espin et al, 2013). Interestingly, urolithins (e.g., urolithin A and Frontiers in Pharmacology frontiersin.org B) have been shown to have beneficial therapeutic effects on metabolic diseases, including dyslipidemia, obesity, and diabetes (Raimundo et al, 2021;Toney et al, 2021;Chen et al, 2022). Thus, the therapeutic effect of pomegranates and P. emblica L. (Euphorbiaceae; P. fructus) on metabolic diseases may be attributed to urolithins produced by the gut microbiota rather than the polyphenols they contain.…”