title: Potential impact of probiotic consumption on the bioactivity of dietary phytochemicals.
abstract: Many healthy phytochemicals occur in food in the form of esters, glycoconjugates, or polymers, which are not directly bioavailable. Probiotic lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, which have evolved within the colonic ecosystem where indigestible oligo- and polysaccharides are their sole carbon sources, bear several glycosyl-hydrolases and can contribute to release the aglycones from glycoconjugated phytochemicals. Among the glycosyl-hydrolases, β-glucosidases are the most pertinent, because many phytochemicals are glucoconjugates. β-Glucosidase-positive probiotic bacteria were proved to release the aglycones of isoflavones and lignans in vitro, but studies in vivo are scarce. A positive correlation between probiotic consumption and urinary and/or plasma levels of isoflavone or lignan metabolites was not established. However, the strains used in the trials were not validated for the enzymatic properties or for the ability to hydrolyze lignans or isoflavones. Thus, activation of specific phytochemicals by probiotic bacteria still needs substantial efforts to be proved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia , 41125 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Maddalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amaretti
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leonardi
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Raimondi
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simone
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quartieri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000378:metabolism; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000378:metabolism; D017705:Lignans / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D064307:Microbiota; D064209:Phytochemicals / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D019936:Probiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001617:beta-Glucosidase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007529:Isoflavones; D017705:Lignans; D064209:Phytochemicals; D001617:beta-Glucosidase