Physiological Functions and Interactions with Gut Microbiota of Proanthocyanidins

In recent years,a broad class of naturalpolyphenol compounds represented by proanthocyanidins(PACs)are increasingly used for their physiological functions such as anti-oxidation,anti-bacterial,anti-inflammatory,anti-tumor and control cardiovascular diseases and its metabolic syndrome,which also proves that plays an important role in the prevention and control of human health. Poor bioavailability is a key problem hindering the application of PACs,which needs to be solved urgently. Studies on the interaction between PACs and gut microbiota are rare,while existing studies indicate that intestinal microorganisms shows positive effects on PACs,such as increasing their biological activity,promoting catabolism,and improving bioavailability. Besides that,PACs promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestine and inhibits the harmful bacteria. The two-way regulation between procyanidins and intestinal microorganisms also shows potential application value in various common metabolic diseases,therefore the research prospects are promising. This paper aims to compare the similarities and differences between the PACs and anthocyanins,summarize the physiological functions of PACs,and review reciprocal interactions with gut microbes,especially lactic acid bacteria,bifidobacteria,which would provide a theoretical reference for the interaction between them and their potential effects on human health.