Wine polyphenols and probiotics might reciprocally enhance their benefits at intestinal level

Abstract

Wine polyphenols seems to exert an impact on intestinal microbiota growth and functionality. Polyphenols are minimally absorbed at the small intestine but they are extensively metabolized at the large intestine by microbiota, giving rise to numerous low molecular weight metabolites (benzoic acids, cinnamic acids, phenylacetic acids, phenylpropionic acids, valerolactones, among others). It is to these metabolites -more than the original forms present in foods- that the biological activity and health effects associated to dietary polyphenols are attributed to. Consumption of specific probiotic strains might improve the metabolism and bioavailability of wine polyphenols and, in turn, enhances the health effects attributed to them. On the other hand, wine polyphenols might enhance the growth and beneficial properties of probiotics in relation to intestinal health. Based on this background, this communication investigates reciprocal benefits between wine polyphenols and probiotics in relation to the metabolism of wine polyphenols by probiotics, and to the influence of wine polyphenols in probiotic viability and in probiotic capacity to inhibit the adhesion of potential pathogens (i.e., E. coli) to intestinal cells. Among the commercial probiotic preparations (n=8) and isolated lactic acid bacteria (LAB) tested (n=3), two probiotic preparations and one LAB strain were able to release different phenolic metabolites after their incubation with a wine phenolic extract. For these three active probiotics, loss of bacteria viability was attenuated in the presence of the wine extract. On the other hand, wine phenolic compounds [i.e., (+)-catechin] and wine-derived phenolic metabolites (i.e., 3,4-dihydroxypheylacetic acid) showed a certain stimulatory effect on bacterial growth. Both phenolic compounds were also found to enhance LAB adherence to Caco-2 cells. Moreover, LAB strains and phenolic compounds seem to act synergistically to inhibit the adherence of E. coli CIAL-153 to Caco-2 cells. These in vitro results support the statement that benefits of wine polyphenols and probiotics may be enhance by their concomitant interaction at intestinal level, which could be used in future nutritional developments.