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Review
. 2022 Jun 20;11(6):1212.
doi: 10.3390/antiox11061212.

Dietary Polyphenol, Gut Microbiota, and Health Benefits

Xiaofei Wang  1 , Yue Qi  1 , Hao Zheng  1
Affiliations
Review

Dietary Polyphenol, Gut Microbiota, and Health Benefits

Xiaofei Wang et al. Antioxidants (Basel). .

Abstract

Polyphenols, which are probably the most important secondary metabolites produced by plants, have attracted tremendous attention due to their health-promoting effects, including their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-adipogenic, and neuro-protective activities, as well as health properties. However, due to their complicated structures and high molecular weights, a large proportion of dietary polyphenols remain unabsorbed along the gastrointestinal tract, while in the large intestine they are biotransformed into bioactive, low-molecular-weight phenolic metabolites through the residing gut microbiota. Dietary polyphenols can modulate the composition of intestinal microbes, and in turn, gut microbes catabolize polyphenols to release bioactive metabolites. To better investigate the health benefits of dietary polyphenols, this review provides a summary of their modulation through in vitro and in vivo evidence (animal models and humans), as well as their possible actions through intestinal barrier function and gut microbes. This review aims to provide a basis for better understanding the relationship between dietary polyphenols, gut microbiota, and host health.

Keywords: biotransformation; dietary polyphenols; gut microbiota; host health.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Classification of dietary polyphenols and their sources.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Possible mechanisms among dietary polyphenols, gut microbiota, and host health.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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