Cátedras CONACYT-Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo A. C., Carretera Gustavo Enrique Astiazarán Rosas No. 46, Col. La Victoria, 83304, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.
Center for Digestive Health, Department of Food Science, Institute for Food Nutrition and Health, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 61 Dudley Road, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA.
Dig Dis Sci. 2021 Oct;66(10):3270-3289. doi: 10.1007/s10620-020-06676-7. Epub 2020 Oct 28.
The role of non-energy-yielding nutrients on health has been meticulously studied, and the evidence shows that a compound can exert significant effects on health even if not strictly required by the organism. Phenolic compounds are among the most widely studied molecules that fit this description; they are found in plants as secondary metabolites and are not required by humans for growth or development, but they can influence a wide array of processes that modulate health across multiple organs and systems. The lower gastrointestinal tract is a prime site of action of phenolic compounds, namely, by their effects on gut microbiota and colonic health. As with humans, phenolic compounds are not required by most bacteria but can be substrates of others; in fact, some phenolic compounds exert antibacterial actions. A diet rich in phenolic compounds can lead to qualitative and quantitative effects on gut microbiota, thereby inducing indirect health effects in mammals through the action of these microorganisms. Moreover, phenolic compounds may be fermented by the gut microbiota, thereby modulating the compounds bioactivity. In the colon, phenolic compounds promote anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and antiproliferative actions. The aim of the present review is to highlight the role of phenolic compounds on maintaining or restoring a healthy microbiota and overall colonic health. Mechanisms of action that substantiate the reported evidence will also be discussed.
非产能营养素对健康的作用已经被细致地研究过了，有证据表明，即使一种化合物在严格意义上不是机体所必需的，它也能对健康产生显著影响。酚类化合物就是符合这一描述的最广泛研究的分子之一；它们是植物中的次生代谢物，人类的生长和发育并不需要它们，但它们可以影响广泛的过程，调节多个器官和系统的健康。下胃肠道是酚类化合物作用的主要部位，即通过它们对肠道微生物群和结肠健康的影响。与人类一样，大多数细菌都不需要酚类化合物，但其他细菌可以将其作为底物；事实上，一些酚类化合物具有抗菌作用。富含酚类化合物的饮食可以对肠道微生物群产生定性和定量的影响，从而通过这些微生物的作用在哺乳动物中引起间接的健康影响。此外，酚类化合物可能被肠道微生物群发酵，从而调节化合物的生物活性。在结肠中，酚类化合物促进抗炎、抗氧化和抗增殖作用。本综述的目的是强调酚类化合物在维持或恢复健康微生物群和整体结肠健康方面的作用。还将讨论支持所报道证据的作用机制。
