Molecular Responses of Lactobacilli to Plant Phenolic Compounds: A Comparative Review of the Mechanisms Involved

Abstract

Lactobacilli are well-studied bacteria that can undergo oxidative selective pressures by plant phenolic compounds (PPCs) in plants, during some food fermentations or in the gastrointestinal tract of animals via dietary inputs. Lactobacilli are known to be more tolerant to PPCs than other bacterial groups and, therefore, must have mechanisms to cope with the effects of these metabolites. In this review, we intend to present what is currently known about the basics beyond the responses of Lactobacillus spp. to individual PPCs. We review the molecular mechanisms that are engaged in the PPC-modulated responses studied to date in these bacteria that have been mainly characterized by system-based strategies, and we discuss their differences and similarities. A wide variety of mechanisms are induced to increase the oxidative stress response highlighting the antimicrobial nature of PPCs. However other uncovered mechanisms that are involved in the response to these compounds are reviewed, including the capacity of PPCs to modulate the expression of molecular functions used by lactobacilli to adapt to host environments. This shows that these phytochemicals can act as more than just antimicrobial agents in the dual interaction with lactobacilli.

Date Seeds Flour Used as Value-Added Ingredient for Wheat Sourdough Bread: An Example of Sustainable Bio-Recycling

“…L. plantarum species was previously reported as more tolerant against phenolics, especially hydroxycinnamic acids, compared with other sourdough-associated bacteria, including Fructilactobacillus sanfranciscensis , which is a well-known key lactic acid bacterium in wheat sourdough ( Sekwati-Monang et al, 2012 ; Dinardo et al, 2019 ). The ability of L. plantarum to tolerate hydroxycinnamic acids was previously explained by its ability to metabolize such compounds through decarboxylation and/or reduction reactions, which have been hypothesized to underlie both a detoxification mechanism and the maintenance of energy balance ( Sánchez-Maldonado et al, 2011 ; Filannino et al, 2015 ; López de Felipe et al, 2021 ). Leuc.…”

Comprehensive analysis of the metabolic and genomic features of tannin-transforming Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains

“…However, it is noteworthy to underline that tannic acid resistance is highly strain-specific, as we observed differences among TanA+ strains that their phenolic transforming capacities would not explain. A plethora of strain-specific responses that allow bacteria to cope with (poly)phenols might be responsible for these variations; these are detoxification mechanisms (e.g., efflux pumps), genotoxic stress responses, and membrane and cell wall modifications, among others 49 .…”

Probiotics: Health benefits, food application, and colonization in the human gastrointestinal tract

“…These findings have indicated that polyphenol compounds could serve as promising novel regulators of the cell surface and immunomodulatory properties of Lactobacillus spp. Enhanced knowledge of the interaction between Lactobacilli and phenolic compounds offers valuable molecular insights that are essential for understanding the pivotal physiological roles in which lactobacilli communicate with the host environment and directly participate in host signaling (López de Felipe et al, 2021).…”