Interactions of dietary polyphenols with epithelial lipids: advances from membrane and cell models in the study of polyphenol absorption, transport and delivery to the epithelium

Abstract

Currently, diet-related diseases such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases account for 70% of all global deaths. To counteract the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases governments are investing in persuasive educational campaigns toward the ingestion of fresh fruits and vegetables. The intake of dietary polyphenols abundant in Mediterranean and Nordic-type diets holds great potential as nutritional strategies in the management of diet-related diseases. However, the successful implementation of healthy nutritional strategies relies on a pleasant sensory perception in the mouth able to persuade consumers to adopt polyphenol-rich diets and on a deeper understanding on the chemical modifications, that affect not only their chemical properties but also their physical interaction with epithelial lipids and in turn their permeability, location within the lipid bilayer, toxicity and biological activity, and fate during absorption at the gastro-intestinal epithelium, transport in circulation and delivery to the endothelium. In this paper, we review the current knowledge on the interactions between polyphenols and their metabolites with membrane lipids in artificial membranes and epithelial cell models (oral, stomach, gut and endothelium) and the findings from polyphenol-lipid interactions to physiological processes such as oral taste perception, gastrointestinal absorption and endothelial health. Finally, we discuss the limitations and challenges associated with the current experimental approaches in membrane and cell model studies and the potential of polyphenol-rich diets in the quest for personalized nutritional strategies (“personalized nutrition”) to assist in the prevention, treatment, and management of non-communicable diseases in an increasingly aged population.

Keywords:

• Cardiovascular disease
• diabetes
• endothelial health
• epithelial membranes
• LDL
• Mediterranean diet
• obesity
• personalized nutrition
• polyphenols
• taste perception

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial support provided by Portuguese National Funds (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000011) and FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal Programme (Project ref. 0377_IBERPHENOL_6_E), the project (PTDC/SAU-NUT/30448/2017), and the facilities provided by REQUIMTE/LAQV through UID/QUI/50006/2019 with funding from FCT/MCTES through national funds and co-financed by FEDER under the Partnership Agreement PT2020.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.