Gut-derived catabolites of proanthocyanidin: AhR-mediated ligand activity in human intestinal cells

Abstract

Passion fruit (Passiflora tenuifila) stands out as a Brazilian native fruit with a high flavan-3-ol content, especially proanthocyanidins. The health benefits associated with the consumption of proanthocyanidins have been attributed to the low molecular weight compounds formed from their metabolization by the gut microbiota. Among these compounds, phenyl-³-valerolactones and their derivatives are one of the main metabolites with potential bioactivity. Several studies have shown the relationship between the consumption of proanthocyanidins and the regulation of inflammatory responses and oxidative stress, through the direct and indirect activation of different molecular targets. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a transcription factor associated with a variety of biological responses, modulating the inflammatory and antioxidant responses, as well as the expression of some xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes. Therefore, considering phenyl-³-valerolactones as a potential AhR agonist/antagonist, this project aims to investigate AhR-mediated ligand activity of gut-derived catabolites of proanthocyanidins from the in vitro colonic fermentation of P. tenuifila. Thus, the identification of new AhR ligands from microbial-derived catabolites from proanthocyanidins could be a strategy to understand the role of this class of flavonoids in health promotion.