Department of Food and Nutrition Research, Faculty of Food Technology, Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia; International Society of Engineering Science and Technology, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Department of Biosciences, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
J Nutr Biochem. 2023 Aug;118:109368. doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2023.109368. Epub 2023 Apr 25.
The human gut is a host for trillions of microorganisms, divided into more than 3,000 heterogeneous species that is called the gut microbiota. The gut microbiota composition can be altered by many different endogenous and exogenous factors, especially diet and nutrition. A diet rich in phytoestrogens, a variable group of chemical compounds similar to 17-β-estradiol (E2), the essential female steroid sex hormone is potent to change the composition of gut microbiota. However, the metabolism of phytoestrogens also highly depends on the action of enzymes produced by gut microbiota. Novel studies have shown that phytoestrogens could play an important role in the treatment of different types of cancers, such as breast cancer in women, due to their potential to decrease estrogen levels. This review aims to summarize recent findings about the lively dialogue between phytoestrogens and gut microbiota and to address their possible future application, especially in treating patients with diagnosed breast cancer. A potential therapeutic approach for the prevention and improving outcomes in breast cancer patients could be based on targeted probiotic supplementation with the use of soy phytoestrogens. A positive effect of probiotics on the outcome and survival of patients with breast cancer has been established. However, more in vivo scientific studies are needed to pave the way for the use of probiotics and phytoestrogens in the clinical practice of breast cancer treatment.
人类肠道是数万亿微生物的宿主，这些微生物可分为 3000 多种不同的物种，被称为肠道微生物群。肠道微生物群的组成可以被许多不同的内源性和外源性因素改变，尤其是饮食和营养。富含植物雌激素的饮食，这是一组类似于 17-β-雌二醇（E2）的化学化合物，是一种重要的女性甾体性激素，能够改变肠道微生物群的组成。然而，植物雌激素的代谢也高度依赖于肠道微生物群产生的酶的作用。新的研究表明，植物雌激素由于其降低雌激素水平的潜力，可能在治疗不同类型的癌症方面发挥重要作用，如女性乳腺癌。本综述旨在总结植物雌激素与肠道微生物群之间活跃对话的最新发现，并探讨其未来的可能应用，特别是在治疗确诊乳腺癌患者方面。基于使用大豆植物雌激素的靶向益生菌补充剂，可能是预防和改善乳腺癌患者结局的一种潜在治疗方法。益生菌对乳腺癌患者结局和生存的积极影响已经得到确立。然而，需要更多的体内科学研究为益生菌和植物雌激素在乳腺癌治疗的临床实践中的应用铺平道路。
