Polyphenols in edible herbal medicine: targeting gut-brain interactions in depression-associated neuroinflammation

Abstract

Supplementing with edible herbal medicine is an important strategy because of its role in nutrition. Many polyphenols, which are universal components in edible herbal medicines, have low bioavailability. Therefore, gut microbiota is a key determinant of polyphenol bioactivity. Polyphenols can alter the abundance of flora associated with neuroinflammation by reversing intestinal microbiota dysbiosis. Intestinal flora-mediated chemical modification of polyphenols can result in their conversion into active secondary metabolites. The current review summarizes the main edible medicines used in anti-depression and details the interactions between polyphenols and gut microbiota; in addition, it provides insights into the mechanisms underlying the possible suppression of neuroinflammation associated with depression, by polyphenols in edible herbal medicine. A better understanding of polyphenols with bioactivities that are crucial in edible herbal medicine may facilitate their use in the prevention and treatment of neuroinflammation associated with depression.

Graphical Abstract

As active components universal exist in edible herbal medicine, many polyphenols rely on intestinal microbes for absorption and metabolism. Interaction with gut microbes emerges as a novel target for suppressing depressive symptoms by herbal medicine. The interaction between polyphenols and intestinal flora is reflected in two aspects: ①Polyphenols can alter the abundance of flora associated with neuroinflammation by reversing intestinal microbiota dysbiosis. ②Through chemical modification mediated by intestinal flora, polyphenols can be converted into secondary metabolites with biological functions of inhibiting neuroinflammation in the CNS.

Keywords:

• Depression
• polyphenols
• neuroinflammation
• gut microbiota
• edible herbal medicine

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82074300, 82174278), Key-Area Research and Development Program of Guangdong Province (No. 2020B1111100001), Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Informatization(2021B1212040007), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (No. 2021A1515010869) and the Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Formula-Pattern of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No.202102010014). The authors gratefully acknowledged the support of K. C. Wong Education and Huang Zhendong Research Fund for Traditional Chinese Medicine of Jinan University (201911).