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Review
. 2019 Feb 14:63.
doi: 10.29219/fnr.v63.1518. eCollection 2019.

Role of intestinal microecology in the regulation of energy metabolism by dietary polyphenols and their metabolites

Shaoling Lin  1 , Zhengyu Wang  1 , Ka-Lung Lam  2 , Shaoxiao Zeng  1 , Bee K Tan  3 , Jiamiao Hu  1
Affiliations
Review

Role of intestinal microecology in the regulation of energy metabolism by dietary polyphenols and their metabolites

Shaoling Lin et al. Food Nutr Res. .

Abstract

Background: Polyphenols are a class of plant secondary metabolites with a variety of physiological functions. Polyphenols and their intestinal metabolites could greatly affect host energy metabolism via multiple mechanisms.

Objective: The objective of this review was to elaborate the role of intestinal microecology in the regulatory effects of dietary polyphenols and their metabolites on energy metabolism.

Methods: In this review, we illustrated the potential mechanisms of energy metabolism regulated by the crosstalk between polyphenols and intestinal microecology including intestinal microbiota, intestinal epithelial cells, and mucosal immune system.

Results: Polyphenols can selectively regulate the growth of susceptible microorganisms (eg. reducing the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroides, promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria and inhibiting pathogenic bacteria) as well as alter bacterial enzyme activity. Moreover, polyphenols can influence the absorption and secretion of intestinal epithelial cells, and alter the intestinal mucosal immune system.

Conclusion: The intestinal microecology play a crucial role for the regulation of energy metabolism by dietary polyphenols.

Keywords: energy metabolism; gut microecology; polyphenols.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have not received any funding or benefits from industry or elsewhere to conduct this study.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The metabolic pathway of dietary polyphenols in humans. A small portion of polyphenols are directly absorbed by the small intestine. The majority of polyphenols (the insoluble and high molecular weight polyphenols) undergo extensive metabolism by gut microflora or tissues before being excreted, which represents at least 90–95% of the polyphenol intake.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The hypothetic pathways of anthocyanin absorption and metabolism based on literature review (40, 41). Anthocyanin undergoes extensive metabolism in the body; the stomach exhibited only native anthocyanin, while in other organs native anthocyanin and its metabolites (phenolic acid or conjugates) were detected before being excreted.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Dietary polyphenols inhibit the metabolic disease related to obesity by regulating the intestinal microflora ecology, for example, lowering Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio (49, 50).
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Polyphenols change fiaf gene expression via reshaping microbiota structure (, , –100). The active fiaf, an inhibitor of LPL, can promote lipid clearance in blood, suppress hepatic lipogenesis and contribute to the release of fatty acids and triacylglycerol from circulating lipoproteins in adipose tissue.
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