Burgberger Marta, Mierziak Justyna, Augustyniak Beata, Wojtasik Wioleta, Kulma Anna
Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego 63/77, 51-148 Wroclaw, Poland.
Metabolites. 2025 Sep 4;15(9):589. doi: 10.3390/metabo15090589.
Lignans are plant-derived biphenolic compounds with multiple hydroxyl groups, which, upon ingestion, are metabolized by gut microbiota into enterolignans-enterolactone and enterodiol. These mammalian metabolites exhibit structural similarity to estradiol, enabling lignans to modulate hormonal balance and exert estrogen-like effects. A growing body of evidence highlights their broad spectrum of health-promoting properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hormone-regulating effects. Lignans have shown potential in alleviating menopausal symptoms, preventing estrogen-dependent cancers, and mitigating conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Additionally, their antimicrobial activity against bacteria, fungi, and viruses is being increasingly recognized. This review provides a comprehensive and up-to-date synthesis of current knowledge. It uniquely integrates the latest insights into lignan biosynthesis, gut microbiota-mediated metabolism, and clinically relevant outcomes. Importantly, this review incorporates recent findings from prospective cohort studies and meta-analyses and sheds light on emerging therapeutic applications, including antifungal activity-an area rarely covered in earlier literature. By presenting a holistic perspective, this review advances our understanding of lignans as multifaceted compounds with significant potential in preventive and therapeutic health strategies.
木脂素是一类源自植物的双酚类化合物，含有多个羟基，摄入后会被肠道微生物群代谢为肠内木脂素——肠内酯和肠二醇。这些哺乳动物代谢产物与雌二醇具有结构相似性，使木脂素能够调节激素平衡并发挥类似雌激素的作用。越来越多的证据凸显了它们广泛的健康促进特性，包括抗氧化、抗炎和激素调节作用。木脂素已显示出缓解更年期症状、预防雌激素依赖性癌症以及减轻心血管疾病、糖尿病和代谢综合征等病症的潜力。此外，它们对细菌、真菌和病毒的抗菌活性也日益得到认可。本综述全面且最新地综合了当前的知识。它独特地整合了有关木脂素生物合成、肠道微生物群介导的代谢以及临床相关结果的最新见解。重要的是，本综述纳入了前瞻性队列研究和荟萃分析的最新发现，并阐明了新出现的治疗应用，包括抗真菌活性——这是早期文献中很少涉及的领域。通过呈现一个整体的视角，本综述增进了我们对木脂素作为在预防和治疗健康策略中具有巨大潜力的多面化合物的理解。
