Pomegranate Fruit Extract
Pomegranate fruit extract contains the polyphenols, ellagic acid and punicalagins A and B which are not only known to have antioxidant properties and help maintain normal inflammatory balance, but have been shown in preclinical and clinical studies to promote the proliferation of beneficial gut microbes. These polyphenols are not absorbed intact in the small intestine and, consequently, the unabsorbed polyphenols can be metabolized by microbes in the small intestine to produce secondary metabolites such as urolithins.
Citrus Fruit Extract Effects on Gut Microbiota & Health Parameters
The gut microbiota is known to interact with food components such as fiber and secondary plant compounds like polyphenols. The relationship between the gut microbiota and polyphenols is considered bidirectional — not only do the intestinal microbes possess the ability to metabolize polyphenols, but it is also now understood that polyphenols exerts changes to intestinal microbes. For example, in vitro evidence suggests that 500 mg of citrus fruit extract administered in between meals over a three-week period significantly increased butyrate and total SCFAs levels by influencing the growth of bacterial groups known to produce butyrate. In addition, a 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study demonstrated in vivo that 500 mg of a citrus fruit extract (MicrobiomeX®) was able to lead to beneficial shifts in SCFA profiles. Additionally, it was reported that MicrobiomeX® was able to lower calprotectin levels, suggesting it helps maintain normal inflammatory balance in the GI tract.
