Impact of food preservatives based on immobilized phenolic compounds on an in vitro model of human gut microbiota

To address concerns about the biocompatibility of novel phenolic immobilization-based food preservatives, their impact on the composition and metabonomic profile of a defined community of human gut microbiota was evaluated. Three phenolics (eugenol, vanillin and ferulic acid) presented in two forms (free or immobilized on different supports) were tested at two concentration levels (0.5 and 2 mg/mL). Free eugenol was the phenolic with the greatest impact on gut microbiota, with a remarkable increase in the abundance of Lachnospiraceae and Akkermansiaceae families. In contrast, immobilized phenolics produced an increase in the abundance of Bac-teroides with a reduction in the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes. The metabonomic profile was also affected by free and immobilized phenolics differently in terms of fermentation by-products and phenolic biotransformation metabolites. Thus the results suggest the importance of evaluating the impact of new compounds or materials added to food on human gut microbiota and their potential use to modulate microbiota composition.

Automated summary

To address concerns about the biocompatibility of novel phenolic immobilization-based food preservatives, this study evaluated their impact on the composition and metabonomic profile of human gut microbiota. The results showed that free eugenol had the greatest impact on gut microbiota, while immobilized phenolics increased the abundance of Bacteroides. The metabonomic profile was also affected differently by free and immobilized phenolics. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the impact of new compounds or materials on human gut microbiota and their potential for modulating microbiota composition.