(Poly)phenolic compounds and gut microbiome: new opportunities for personalized nutrition

Abstract

For decades, (poly)phenols have been linked to cardiometabolic health, but population heterogeneity limits their apparent efficacy and the development of tailored, practical protocols in dietary interventions. This heterogeneity is likely determined by the existence of different metabotypes, sub-populations of individuals metabolizing some classes of (poly)phenols differently. The gut microbiota plays a major role in this process. The impact of microbiota-related phenolic metabotypes on cardiometabolic health is becoming evident, although the picture is still incomplete, and data are absent for some classes of (poly)phenols. The lack of a complete understanding of the main microbial actors involved in the process complicates the picture. Elucidation of the mechanisms behind phenolic metabotypes requires novel experimental designs that can dissect the inter-individual variability. This paper, in addition to providing an overview on the current state-of-the-art, proposes wider metabotyping approaches as a means of paving the way towards effective personalized nutrition with dietary (poly)phenols.

Characterization of the Interindividual Variability Associated with the Microbial Metabolism of (−)-Epicatechin

“…Gut microbiota is known to drive the health effects of flavan-3-ols. − In fact, only a small fraction of monomeric flavan-3-ols is absorbed by the small intestine, while the majority of the ingested flavan-3-ols reach the colon and undergo gut microbiota degradation. This leads to the formation of bioavailable metabolites such as phenyl-γ-valerolactones (PVLs) and phenylvaleric acids (PVAs) with potential bioactivity as shown in Figure . − Another aspect to consider in the flavan-3-ol metabolism is the large interindividual variability in the capacity of the gut microbiota to produce these metabolites across the population .…”

Purified recombinant enzymes efficiently hydrolyze conjugated urinary (poly)phenol metabolites

“…[4][5][6] Over the last decade, the focus on the origin of the beneficial effects of ( poly)phenols has shifted from antioxidant activity in the host to the two-way interaction between ( poly) phenols and the gut microbiota. 3,4,[7][8][9][10] After consumption, only 5 to 10% of native ( poly)phenolic compounds are absorbed in the small intestine and over 90% reach the colon where they can interact with the gut microbiota. 11 On the one hand, ( poly)phenols can modulate the gut microbiota by inhibiting pathogenic species (antimicrobial effect) and by stimulating the growth of beneficial bacteria ( prebiotic effect): we recently proposed the term duplibiotic effect to describe these two modes of action.…”

“…11 On the one hand, ( poly)phenols can modulate the gut microbiota by inhibiting pathogenic species (antimicrobial effect) and by stimulating the growth of beneficial bacteria ( prebiotic effect): we recently proposed the term duplibiotic effect to describe these two modes of action. 10,12 On the other hand, ( poly)phenolic compounds are extensively catabolized by the gut microbiota by hydrolysis, cleavage and reduction reactions to release a wide range of potentially bioactive and bioavailable metabolites, such as phenyl-γ-valerolactones (PVLs) and phenolic acids (from flavan-3-ols), urolithins (from ellagic acid and ellagitannins), enterodiol and enterolactone (from lignans) and O-desmethylangolensin (ODMA) and equol (from isoflavones). 3,4,8,10 These metabolites may also have nutrigenomic effects by exerting multi-genomic modifications in humans, which could explain the mechanisms underlying their health effects, as extensively reviewed elsewhere.…”

“…10,12 On the other hand, ( poly)phenolic compounds are extensively catabolized by the gut microbiota by hydrolysis, cleavage and reduction reactions to release a wide range of potentially bioactive and bioavailable metabolites, such as phenyl-γ-valerolactones (PVLs) and phenolic acids (from flavan-3-ols), urolithins (from ellagic acid and ellagitannins), enterodiol and enterolactone (from lignans) and O-desmethylangolensin (ODMA) and equol (from isoflavones). 3,4,8,10 These metabolites may also have nutrigenomic effects by exerting multi-genomic modifications in humans, which could explain the mechanisms underlying their health effects, as extensively reviewed elsewhere. 13 The concept of metabotype has been introduced to characterize the interindividual variability in the production and excretion of metabolites produced by the gut microbiota, and therefore, to better understand the current unpredictability associated with the health effects of (poly)phenols.…”

“…13 The concept of metabotype has been introduced to characterize the interindividual variability in the production and excretion of metabolites produced by the gut microbiota, and therefore, to better understand the current unpredictability associated with the health effects of (poly)phenols. 4,8,10 Previous research has proposed that metabotypes are metabolic phenotypes defined by the production of metabolites resulting from the degradation of specific (poly)phenols by the gut microbiota and by the ecology of the latter in terms of composition and activity. 4 This definition of metabotypes is based on qualitative differences in the excretion of specific metabolites (absence vs. presence).…”