Independent Researcher, Paris, France.
Luxembourg Institute of Health, Population Health Department, Nutrition and Health Research Group, 1A-B, rue Thomas Edison, Strassen L-1445, Luxembourg.
Food Funct. 2020 Oct 21;11(10):8444-8471. doi: 10.1039/d0fo01483d.
A healthy gut microbiota (GM) is paramount for a healthy lifestyle. Alterations of the GM have been involved in the aetiology of several chronic diseases, including obesity and type 2 diabetes, as well as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. In pathological conditions, the diversity of the GM is commonly reduced or altered, often toward an increased Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. The colonic fermentation of dietary fiber has shown to stimulate the fraction of bacteria purported to have beneficial health effects, acting as prebiotics, and to increase the production of short chain fatty acids, e.g. propionate and butyrate, while also improving gut epithelium integrity such as tight junction functionality. However, a variety of phytochemicals, often associated with dietary fiber, have also been proposed to modulate the GM. Many phytochemicals possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may positively affect the GM, including polyphenols, carotenoids, phytosterols/phytostanols, lignans, alkaloids, glucosinolates and terpenes. Some polyphenols may act as prebiotics, while carotenoids have been shown to alter immunoglobulin A expression, an important factor for bacteria colonization. Other phytochemicals may interact with the mucosa, another important factor for colonization, and prevent its degradation. Certain polyphenols have shown to influence bacterial communication, interacting with quorum sensing. Finally, phytochemicals can be metabolized in the gut into bioactive constituents, e.g. equol from daidzein and enterolactone from secoisolariciresinol, while bacteria can use glycosides for energy. In this review, we strive to highlight the potential interactions between prominent phytochemicals and health benefits related to the GM, emphasizing their potential as adjuvant strategies for GM-related diseases.
健康的肠道微生物群（GM）对健康的生活方式至关重要。GM 的改变与几种慢性疾病的发病机制有关，包括肥胖和 2 型糖尿病，以及心血管和神经退行性疾病。在病理条件下，GM 的多样性通常会减少或改变，通常朝着增加厚壁菌门/拟杆菌门比例的方向发展。膳食纤维的结肠发酵已被证明可以刺激被认为具有有益健康作用的细菌部分，作为益生元，并增加短链脂肪酸（例如丙酸和丁酸）的产生，同时还可以改善肠道上皮细胞的完整性，如紧密连接功能。然而，各种与膳食纤维相关的植物化学物质也被认为可以调节 GM。许多植物化学物质具有抗氧化和抗炎特性，可能对 GM 产生积极影响，包括多酚、类胡萝卜素、植物固醇/植物甾烷、木脂素、生物碱、硫代葡萄糖苷和萜类化合物。一些多酚可能作为益生元，而类胡萝卜素已被证明可以改变免疫球蛋白 A 的表达，这是细菌定植的一个重要因素。其他植物化学物质可能与粘膜相互作用，粘膜是定植的另一个重要因素，并防止其降解。某些多酚已被证明可以影响细菌的通讯，与群体感应相互作用。最后，植物化学物质可以在肠道中代谢成生物活性成分，例如大豆苷元转化为雌马酚，开环异落叶松脂醇转化为肠内酯，而细菌可以利用糖苷作为能量。在这篇综述中，我们努力强调突出的植物化学物质与 GM 相关健康益处之间的潜在相互作用，强调它们作为 GM 相关疾病辅助策略的潜力。
