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Recent Research in Plant Polyphenols and Gut Health

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Published Papers

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 14777

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Adam Jurgoński

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Guest Editor

Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, 10-748 Olsztyn, Poland
Interests: nutrition; food chemistry; phytochemistry; diet-related diseases; physiology of the digestive system
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Gut health can be defined as the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract connected with the absence of illnesses peculiar to this part of the body. A healthy gut largely depends on nutritional factors, of which polyphenols of plant origin are attracting more and more attention. Plant polyphenols are a wide group of compounds, the structure of which determines their characteristic chemical properties, low biological availability, and diverse biological activities. As a consequence of low bioavailability, polyphenols strongly interact within individual parts of the gastrointestinal tract, which makes them potentially important in maintaining and improving gut health.

This Special Issue is devoted to all chemical aspects of plant polyphenols, including their methods of isolation and analytical characterization, and especially to their structure–activity relationships within the gastrointestinal tract. Furthermore, the identification, characterization, and profiling of polyphenol metabolites within the gastrointestinal tract; polyphenol interactions with non-digestible saccharides and other dietary components; and the effects of polyphenols and their metabolites on the development of gastrointestinal disorders are also important topics for this Special Issue.

Dr. Adam Jurgoński
Guest Editor

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Keywords

polyphenols
phenolic acids
polyphenol metabolites
polyphenol interactions
structure–activity relationships
gut functions
gastrointestinal disorders
intestinal microbiota
intestinal integrity

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 3544 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigating the Stability of Six Phenolic TMZ Ester Analogues, Incubated in the Presence of Porcine Liver Esterase and Monitored by HPLC

by Leroy A. Shervington and Oliver Ingham

Molecules 2022, 27(9), 2958; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27092958 - 05 May 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1757

Abstract

Previous published data from our group showed the encouraging in vitro activities of six phenolic temozolomide (TMZ) ester analogues (ES8–ES12 and ES14) with up to a five-fold increase in potency compared to TMZ against glioblastoma multiform cell lines and TMZ-resistant O⁶-methylguanine-DNA methyl transferase (MGMT)-positive primary cells. This study investigated the stabilities of the six phenolic TMZ ester analogues in the presence of porcine liver esterase (PLE) as a hydrolytic enzyme, using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), monitored by a diode-array detector (DAD). Determining the rates of hydrolysis of the esters provided a useful insight into the feasibility of progressing them to the next phase of drug development. Fifty percent of TMZ esters consisting of para nitro, chloro, phenyl and tolyl groups (ES9, ES10, ES12 and ES14) were hydrolysed within the first 4.2 min of PLE exposure, while the TMZ esters consisting of para methoxy and nitrile groups (ES8 and ES11) demonstrated increased stability, with 50% hydrolysis achieved in 7.3 and 13.7 min, respectively. In conclusion, the survival of these phenolic TMZ esters on route to the target site of a brain tumor would be a challenge, mainly due to the undesirable rapid rate of hydrolysis. These findings therefore pose a question regarding the effectiveness of these esters in an in vivo setting. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research in Plant Polyphenols and Gut Health)

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33 pages, 7275 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Inhibitory Effect of Polyphenols from the Whole Green Jackfruit Flour against α-Glucosidase, α-Amylase, Aldose Reductase and Glycation at Multiple Stages and Their Interaction: Inhibition Kinetics and Molecular Simulations

by Tejaswini Maradesha, Shashank M. Patil, Khalid Awadh Al-Mutairi, Ramith Ramu, SubbaRao V. Madhunapantula and Taha Alqadi

Molecules 2022, 27(6), 1888; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27061888 - 14 Mar 2022

Cited by 36 | Viewed by 3746

Abstract

For the first time, α-glucosidase, α-amylase, aldose reductase, and glycation at multiple stages inhibitory assays were used to explore the antidiabetic potential of whole unripe jackfruit (peel with pulp, flake, and seed). Two polyphenols (phenolic acids) with strong antihyperglycaemic activity were isolated from the methanol extract of whole jackfruit flour (MJ) using activity-guided repeated fractionation on a silica gel column chromatography. The bioactive compounds isolated were identified as 3-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-2-propenoic acid (caffeic acid: CA) and 4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid (syringic acid: SA) after various physicochemical and spectroscopic investigations. CA (IC₅₀: 8.0 and 26.90 µg/mL) and SA (IC₅₀: 7.5 and 25.25 µg/mL) were identified to inhibit α-glucosidase and α-amylase in a competitive manner with low Ki values. In vitro glycation experiments further revealed that MJ and its components inhibited each stage of protein glycation as well as the generation of intermediate chemicals. Furthermore, CA (IC₅₀: 3.10) and SA (IC₅₀: 3.0 µg/mL) inhibited aldose reductase effectively in a non-competitive manner, respectively. The binding affinity of these substances towards the enzymes examined has been proposed by molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies, which may explain their inhibitory activities. The found potential of MJ in antihyperglycaemic activity via inhibition of α-glucosidase and in antidiabetic action via inhibition of the polyol pathway and protein glycation is more likely to be related to the presence of the phenolic compounds, according to our findings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research in Plant Polyphenols and Gut Health)

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19 pages, 42128 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Laxative Effects of Phlorotannins Derived from Ecklonia cava on Loperamide-Induced Constipation in SD Rats

by Ji-Eun Kim, Yun-Ju Choi, Su-Jin Lee, Jeong-Eun Gong, You-Jung Jin, So-Hae Park, Hee-Seob Lee, Young-Whan Choi, Jin-Tae Hong and Dae-Youn Hwang

Molecules 2021, 26(23), 7209; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26237209 - 28 Nov 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2118

Abstract

This study investigated the laxative effects of phlorotannins (Pt) derived from Ecklonia cava (E. cave) on chronic constipation by evaluating alterations in stool parameters, gastrointestinal motility, histopathological structure, mucin secretion, gastrointestinal hormones, muscarinic cholinergic regulation, and fecal microbiota in SD rats with loperamide (Lop)-induced constipation subjected to Pt treatment. Stool-related parameters (including stool number, weight, and water contents), gastrointestinal motility, and length of intestine were significantly enhanced in the Lop+Pt-treated group as compared to the Lop+Vehicle-treated group. A similar recovery was detected in the histopathological and cytological structure of the mid-colon of Lop+Pt-treated rats, although the level of mucin secretion remained constant. Moreover, rats with Lop-induced constipation subjected to Pt treatment showed significant improvements in water channel expression, gastrointestinal hormone secretions, and expression of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors M2/M3 (mAChRs M2/M3) and their mediators of muscarinic cholinergic regulation. Furthermore, the Lop+Pt-treated group showed a significant recovery of Bifidobacteriaceae, Muribaculaceae, Clostridiaceae, and Eubacteriaceae families in fecal microbiota. Taken together, these results provide the first evidence that exposure of SD rats with Lop-induced constipation to Pt improves the constipation phenotype through the regulation of membrane water channel expression, GI hormones, the mAChR signaling pathway, and fecal microbiota. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research in Plant Polyphenols and Gut Health)

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Review

Jump to: Research

14 pages, 1594 KiB

Open AccessReview

Interplay between Lignans and Gut Microbiota: Nutritional, Functional and Methodological Aspects

by Simone Baldi, Marta Tristán Asensi, Marco Pallecchi, Francesco Sofi, Gianluca Bartolucci and Amedeo Amedei

Molecules 2023, 28(1), 343; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules28010343 - 01 Jan 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3085

Abstract

Lignans are non-flavonoid polyphenols present in a wide range of foods frequently consumed in the Western world, such as seeds, vegetables and fruits, and beverages such as coffee, tea and wine. In particular, the human gut microbiota (GM) can convert dietary lignans into biologically active compounds, especially enterolignans (i.e., enterolactone and enterodiol), which play anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant roles, act as estrogen receptor activators and modulate gene expression and/or enzyme activity. Interestingly, recent evidence documenting those dietary interventions involving foods enriched in lignans have shown beneficial and protective effects on various human pathologies, including colorectal and breast cancer and cardiovascular diseases. However, considering that more factors (e.g., diet, food transit time and intestinal redox state) can modulate the lignans bioactivation by GM, there are usually remarkable inter-individual differences in urine, fecal and blood concentrations of enterolignans; hence, precise and validated analytical methods, especially gas/liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, are needed for their accurate quantification. Therefore, this review aims to summarize the beneficial roles of enterolignans, their interaction with GM and the new methodological approaches developed for their evaluation in different biological samples, since they could be considered future promising nutraceuticals for the prevention of human chronic disorders. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research in Plant Polyphenols and Gut Health)

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20 pages, 2948 KiB

Open AccessReview

Dietary Polyphenols: Extraction, Identification, Bioavailability, and Role for Prevention and Treatment of Colorectal and Prostate Cancers

by Naveed Ahmad, Muhammad Qamar, Ye Yuan, Yasir Nazir, Polrat Wilairatana and Mohammad S. Mubarak

Molecules 2022, 27(9), 2831; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27092831 - 29 Apr 2022

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3077

Abstract

Fruits, vegetables, and other edible plants in our diet have numerous health benefits, due to the bioactive compounds in these food items, including polyphenols. These plants are a rich and promising source of natural products and phytochemicals that can be used to treat and prevent numerous diseases and prevent the progression of cancer. Dietary polyphenols exhibit chemo-preventive and therapeutic effects against various ailments, including several types of cancer. The current study focuses on polyphenol’s traditional and advanced extraction methods, with supercritical extraction as a novel approach. It also deals with their identification, bioavailability, and role in preventing and treating colorectal and prostate cancers. Additionally, the article covers the literature that deals with the anticancer activities of polyphenols, as well as their potential use as anticancer agents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research in Plant Polyphenols and Gut Health)

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