Zhang Hao, Wang Feijie, Wang Li, Du Jun, Li Yan
State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
Nutrilite Health Institute, Shanghai, 200003, China.
Food Res Int. 2025 Oct;218:116900. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2025.116900. Epub 2025 Jun 17.
Aging increases the risk of health deterioration, which is a complex process driven by many interconnected mechanisms through multiple signaling pathways, including oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and intestinal environmental disorders. Plant polyphenols are secondary metabolites found in various plants, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, lignans, stilbenes and other phenolic compounds. These compounds exhibit a range of physiological functions, such as metabolic regulation, cardiovascular protection. Recently, plant polyphenols have gained considerable interest due to their potential to delay aging by suppressing oxidative stress, inhibiting inflammation, and improving mitochondrial function and intestinal environment. However, age-related changes in digestion, absorption, and gut microbiota composition can adversely affect the bioavailability of plant polyphenols, thereby diminishing their therapeutic efficacy. This article reviews the significant role of plant polyphenols in delaying the aging process and explores the underlying mechanisms involved. It also presents the current research status on the bioavailability of plant polyphenols and emphasizes that age-related gastrointestinal changes, such as decreased enzyme activity, altered gastrointestinal motility and imbalances in the gut microbiota, are key factors influencing polyphenol bioavailability in the elderly, encouraging to carry out research on the bioavailability of plant polyphenols in the elderly in the hope of developing novel anti-aging strategies.
衰老会增加健康恶化的风险，这是一个由许多相互关联的机制通过多种信号通路驱动的复杂过程，包括氧化应激、炎症、线粒体功能障碍和肠道环境紊乱。植物多酚是在各种植物中发现的次生代谢产物，包括酚酸、黄酮类化合物、木脂素、芪类和其他酚类化合物。这些化合物具有一系列生理功能，如代谢调节、心血管保护。最近，植物多酚因其通过抑制氧化应激、抑制炎症以及改善线粒体功能和肠道环境来延缓衰老的潜力而备受关注。然而，与年龄相关的消化、吸收和肠道微生物群组成的变化会对植物多酚的生物利用度产生不利影响，从而降低其治疗效果。本文综述了植物多酚在延缓衰老过程中的重要作用，并探讨了其中的潜在机制。它还介绍了植物多酚生物利用度的当前研究现状，并强调与年龄相关的胃肠道变化，如酶活性降低、胃肠蠕动改变和肠道微生物群失衡，是影响老年人多酚生物利用度的关键因素，鼓励开展关于老年人植物多酚生物利用度的研究，以期开发新的抗衰老策略。
