Role of Food Antioxidants in Modulating Gut Microbial Communities: Novel Understandings in Intestinal Oxidative Stress Damage and Their Impact on Host Health

Abstract

Dietary components have an important role on the structure and function of host gut microbial communities. Even though, various dietary components, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, fibers, and vitamins, have been studied in depth for their effect on gut microbiomes, little attention has been paid regarding the impact of several food antioxidants on the gut microbiome. The long-term exposure to reactive oxygen species (ROS) can cause microbial dysbiosis which leads to numerous intestinal diseases such as microbiota dysbiosis, intestinal injury, colorectal cancers, enteric infections, and inflammatory bowel diseases. Recently, it has been shown that the food derived antioxidant compounds might protect the host from intestinal oxidative stress via modulating the composition of beneficial microbial species in the gut. The present review summarizes the impact of food antioxidants including antioxidant vitamins, dietary polyphenols, carotenoids, and bioactive peptides on the structure as well as function of host gut microbial communities. Several in vitro, animal model, and clinical studies indicates that food antioxidants might modify the host gut microbial communities and their health status. However, still further clarification is needed as to whether changes in certain microbial species caused by food additives may lead to changes in metabolism and immune function.

Keywords: antioxidants; bioactive peptides; food additive; gut microbiota; polyphenol; vitamins.

Figure 1

The microbiota composition throughout the length of gastrointestinal tract. Factor affecting the composition of gut microbiota throughout the life and consequence on host health. The sequence of microbiota distribution in gastrointestinal tract is oral cavity < stomach < duodenum < jejunum < colon. The image was created by using the service provide by Servier Medical Art (Suresnes, France) under license Creative Common Attribution 3.0 France.

Figure 2

Dietary components that may affect the composition of microbiota leading to the gut symbiosis or dysbiosis. The image was created by using the service provide by Servier Medical Art under license Creative Common Attribution 3.0 France.

Figure 3

ROS production impact on the homeostasis of host gut. In balance stage, there is a relationship between gut, gut microbiota, and ROS which maintain the function host immune and mucosal defense. In imbalance stage, the over-production of ROS induces oxidative stress which leads to dysbiosis in gut microbiota. The image was created by using the service provide by Servier Mediacl Art under license Creative Common Attribution 3.0 France. ↑: Increase; ↓: Decrease.