Perspectives of the potential implications of wine polyphenols on human oral and gut microbiota

Food polyphenols are able to selectively modify the growth of susceptible micro-organisms. Wine is a good source of polyphenols and thus, the moderate consumption of this beverage can lead to the modulation of both oral and gut microbiota. This review aims to bring together the knowledge acquired concerning the potential effects of wine polyphenols on human microbiota, as well as taking into account the ability of bacteria to metabolize these compounds. Red wine phenolic composition, characterized by the occurrence of flavan-3-ols, flavonols, anthocyanins, hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids, stilbenes and phenolic alcohols as the main phenolic compounds, will determine the microbiota-modulating effects of wine consumption. Moreover, although the same bacterial genera can be found in oral and gut ecosystems, their relative amount is different, which can influence the metabolic transformations of wine polyphenols. Taking all this into account, the potential implications of these studies on human microbiota are finally discussed together with perspective and future research trends in this field.