The bioavailability of catechin highly
relies on gut microbiota
which may determine its metabolic profile, resulting in different
health outcomes. Here, we investigated in vitro (+)-catechin
metabolism by human microbial communities. There were substantial
interindividual differences in the metabolic profiles of (+)-catechin,
with 5-(3′,4′-dihydroxyphenyl)-γ-valerolactone
being the major contributor. Furthermore, the microbial metabolic
rate of catechin enabled stratification of 12 participants (fast,
medium, and slow converters), despite the interference from the strong
intrinsic interindividual variability in fecal microbiota. Correlations
were established between this stratified population and microbiota
features, such as ecosystem diversity. Additionally, fast converters
had significantly higher prevalences of amplicon sequence variants
(ASVs) with potential capacity of C-ring cleavage (ASV233_Eggerthella and ASV402_Eubacterium), B-ring dihydroxylation (ASV402_Eubacterium), and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing ASVs. In conclusion,
metabolic-capability-based stratification allows us to uncover differences
in microbial composition between fast and slow converters, which could
help to elucidate interindividual variabilities in the health benefits
of catechins.
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