Although the relationship
between gut microbiota and flavan-3-ol
metabolism differs greatly between individuals, the specific metabolic
profiles, known as metabotypes, have not yet been clearly defined.
In this study, fecal batch fermentations of 34 healthy donors inoculated
with (−)-epicatechin were stratified into groups based on their
conversion rate of (−)-epicatechin and their quali–quantitative
metabolic profile. Fast and slow converters of (−)-epicatechin,
high producers of 1-(3′-hydroxyphenyl)-3-(2″,4″,6″-trihydroxyphenyl)-propan-2-ol
(3-HPP-2-ol) and 5-(3′,4′-dihydroxyphenyl)-γ-valerolactone
(3,4-DHPVL) were identified. Fecal microbiota analysis revealed that
fast conversion of (−)-epicatechin was associated with short-chain
fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria, such as Faecalibacterium spp. and Bacteroides spp., and higher levels of
acetate, propionate, butyrate, and valerate were observed for fast
converters. Other bacteria were associated with the conversion of
1-(3′,4′-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-(2″,4″,6″-trihydroxyphenyl)-propan-2-ol
into 3-HPP-2-ol (Lachnospiraceae UCG-010 spp.) and
3,4-DHPVL (Adlercreutzia equolifaciens). Such stratification sheds light on the mechanisms of action underlying
the high interindividual variability associated with the health benefits
of flavan-3-ols.