Polyphenols in gut barrier function across diverse natural sources: mechanisms and comparative insights in berry and seaweed-derived compounds

Abstract

Polyphenols form an enormously diverse range of natural compounds ascribed a multitude of bioactive properties, conferred from mechanisms related to simple antioxidant functions through to modulation of cellular functions acting at discreet signalling, protein-modifying and epigenetic pathways. This review focusses on the bioactivity of polyphenols as it relates to gastrointestinal health, particularly regarding epithelial permeability and barrier function. This review highlights selected natural sources rich in phytochemicals as examples to highlight this versatility, showcasing a diversity of constituent polyphenols and other compounds that have demonstrated protection against stressors that induce changes in intestinal barrier function and permeability, from flavonoids to phlorotannins. Such polyphenols may have standalone active or adjunctive roles in ameliorating intestinal barrier dysfunction arising from inflammatory and noxious stressors that can span actions as nutraceuticals or supplements to improve gut integrity, with wide-ranging implications for human health beyond the gut.