Nutrition is something we all rely on daily, but it can be hard to understand exactly how it works. We know that plant-based foods are good for us, but we don’t always know why. One key factor could be our gut bacteria, which help break down these foods after we eat them. So, how do our gut bacteria help?
A recent study published in Cell sheds light on this. It suggests that we might be able to get more benefits from our food by using the bacteria in our gut to break down plant compounds known as phenolic glycosides. These compounds are made by plants and have sugar molecules attached to small molecules that are good for our health.
“Plants make these compounds for all kinds of reasons, like attracting pollinators or protecting themselves from pests,” explains Seth Rakoff-Nahoum, a doctor and researcher at Boston Children's Hospital. “So, what happens to these compounds when we eat them, and how do they affect us?”
The research shows that certain gut bacteria have special enzymes that break down phenolic glycosides. These enzymes remove the sugar molecules, which the bacteria use, while releasing the smaller molecules that can benefit us.
Some of these small molecules are found to help reduce inflammation in the intestines and protect against harmful bacteria. Rakoff-Nahoum believes these findings could lead to new treatments for conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and dangerous infections like Clostridioides difficile (C. diff).
Reducing Inflammation and Fighting C. Diff
The researchers focused on a group of bacteria in the gut called Bacteroides, which are important for digesting plant compounds. They tested seven different phenolic glycosides on 52 strains of Bacteroides and another bacteria called Parabacteroides to see which strains were best at breaking down these compounds.
“We found out which bacteria are good at metabolizing plant compounds and what enzymes they use,” says Rakoff-Nahoum. “We then tested these bacteria in mice with IBD and C. diff infections to see how they could help.”
In their experiments, certain small molecules released by Bacteroides helped stop C. diff from infecting the intestines in mice. One of these molecules was resveratrol, which is found in grapes and red wine. When resveratrol was broken down from another compound called polydatin, it worked as an antibiotic and stopped C. diff.
Another molecule, salicin, comes from willow bark and is known for turning into aspirin in the body. When broken down by Bacteroides in the intestines, it released saligenin, which helped regulate the gut and balance the immune system. In mice, Bacteroides species that produced the necessary enzyme helped protect against colitis (inflammation of the colon), while those without the enzyme did not.
“We gave willow bark to mice and saw that it helped treat inflammation,” says Rakoff-Nahoum. “The compound remained effective and bioactive in the body. This is how we can use the microbiome to get the health benefits of diet.”
Looking Ahead to Treatments
The researchers hope their discoveries will lead to new treatments. They could develop therapies that pair plant compounds with the bacterial enzymes that break them down, or even use the bacteria themselves in treatments. Rakoff-Nahoum has applied for patents based on their work related to IBD and C. diff infections.
“This paper opens up a new area of research with the potential for major health benefits,” says Scott Snapper, a doctor and researcher at Boston Children’s Hospital.
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