Mechanisms of Interactions between Bile Acids and Plant Compounds—A Review

Abstract

Plant compounds are described to interact with bile acids during small intestinal digestion. This review will summarise mechanisms of interaction between bile acids and plant compounds, challenges in in vivo and in vitro analyses, and possible consequences on health. The main mechanisms of interaction assume that increased viscosity during digestion results in reduced micellar mobility of bile acids, or that bile acids and plant compounds are associated or complexed at the molecular level. Increasing viscosity during digestion due to specific dietary fibres is considered a central reason for bile acid retention. Furthermore, hydrophobic interactions are proposed to contribute to bile acid retention in the small intestine. Although frequently hypothesised, no mechanism of permanent binding of bile acids by dietary fibres or indigestible protein fractions has yet been demonstrated. Otherwise, various polyphenolic structures were recently associated with reduced micellar solubility and modification of steroid and bile acid excretion but underlying molecular mechanisms of interaction are not yet fully understood. Therefore, future research activities need to consider the complex composition and cell-wall structures as influenced by processing when investigating bile acid interactions. Furthermore, influences of bile acid interactions on gut microbiota need to be addressed to clarify their role in bile acid metabolism.

Astragalus Polysaccharides Ameliorate Diet-Induced Gallstone Formation by Modulating Synthesis of Bile Acids and the Gut Microbiota

“…Studies have shown that dietary fiber can protect against CG formation in prairie dogs, and this effect was associated with a decrease in the cholesterol level in bile ( Schwesinger et al, 1999 ). Reduced reabsorption of BAs in the ileum is considered a major mechanism that explains the cholesterol-reducing effects of dietary fibers ( Naumann et al, 2020 ). Several studies have reported that the viscous and adsorptive effects of dietary fibers can reduce BA reabsorption in the intestine ( Naumann et al, 2018 ; Naumann et al, 2019 ; Naumann et al, 2020 ).…”

“…Reduced reabsorption of BAs in the ileum is considered a major mechanism that explains the cholesterol-reducing effects of dietary fibers ( Naumann et al, 2020 ). Several studies have reported that the viscous and adsorptive effects of dietary fibers can reduce BA reabsorption in the intestine ( Naumann et al, 2018 ; Naumann et al, 2019 ; Naumann et al, 2020 ). In the intestine, BAs are absorbed in two ways: active and passive ( Ticho et al, 2019 ).…”

Gut microbial structural variations as determinants of human bile acid metabolism

“…For instance, we found that an SV of B. wexlerae mediated the effect of red wine drinking on the CA dehydroxylation/deconjugation ratio, reflecting the conversion of glycine- or taurine-conjugated CA to unconjugated DCA within one cycle of the enterohepatic circulation. Red wine is rich in polyphenols, a group of molecules with anti-oxidative properties (Naumann et al, 2020; Queipo-Ortuño et al, 2012) that can increase fecal BA excretion by regulating gut microbiota (Chambers et al, 2019). We also observed that the frequency of chocolate consumption increases the GUDCA proportion in plasma through an SV of B. wexlerae .…”

Impacts of Drug Interactions on Pharmacokinetics and the Brain Transporters: A Recent Review of Natural Compound-Drug Interactions in Brain Disorders

“…Moreover, SLC and ABC transporters are expressed on the sinusoidal membrane and canalicular membrane of hepatocytes, thereby facilitating the uptake of drugs into hepatocytes and their excretion through the bile duct [ 19 ]. Bile excretion into the duodenum of the intestine can play a key role in the elimination of drugs through feces and drug reabsorption into the intestinal membrane, called enterohepatic circulation [ 28 ]. A schematic diagram of the position of various transporters in the hepatocytes is depicted in Figure 2 .…”