Abstract
BackgroundFlavonoids are important plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) that have been widely used for their health-promoting effects. However, little is known about overall flavonoid metabolism and the interactive effects between flavonoids and the gut microbiota. The flavonoid-rich bamboo and the giant panda provide an ideal system to bridge this gap.ResultsHere, integrating metabolomic and metagenomic approaches, and in vitro culture experiment, we identified 97 flavonoids in bamboo and most of them have not been identified previously; the utilization of more than 70% flavonoid monomers was attributed to gut microbiota; the variation of flavonoid in bamboo leaves and shoots shaped the seasonal microbial fluctuation. The greater the flavonoid content in the diet was, the lower microbial diversity and virulence factor, but the more cellulose-degrading species.ConclusionsOur study shows an unprecedented landscape of beneficial PSMs in a non-model mammal and reveals that PSMs remodel the gut microbiota conferring host adaptation to diet transition in an ecological context, providing a novel insight into host-microbe interaction.FNqEF651ov9tHyt7pvrVsGVideo abstract
Highlights
Flavonoids are ubiquitous plant secondary metabolites (PSMs), a class of polyphenols comprising diverse subclasses [1]
Substantial changes in flavonoid profiles in bamboo leaves and shoots show a marked variation between seasonal diets In total, 15 samples representing five types of diets (Table S1) were used for flavonoids determination, according to the methods of widely targeted metabolome based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) [18]
Based on the local database, 97 specific flavonoid monomers were identified in the bamboo samples, including 62 flavones, 18 flavonols, 12 flavanones, 3 isoflavones, 1 chalcone, and 1 flavanonol, most of which were in glycoside form (Fig. 1A–C; Table S2)
Summary
Substantial changes in flavonoid profiles in bamboo leaves and shoots show a marked variation between seasonal diets In total, 15 samples representing five types of diets (one kind for each type of three mixed duplicates) (Table S1) were used for flavonoids determination, according to the methods of widely targeted metabolome based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) [18]. Dietary flavonoids induce the seasonal dynamics of gut microbiota the gut microbiota of captive giant pandas was very different from that of wild population for multifactorial effects, it showed higher diversity in shoot eating stage at the level of gene richness and the metagenomic species (MGS) for both the wild and captive population (Fig. 3B–D). In addition to the above two enzymes, other glycoside hydrolases were present in the gut microbiota of giant pandas, including α-galactosidase [EC 3.2.1.22], βgalactosidase [EC 3.2.1.23], α-glucosidase [EC 3.2.1.20], and mannosyl-oligosaccharide glucosidase [EC 3.2.1.106] These enzymes might contribute to the high utilization of 27 glycosyl flavonoids and result in marked decreases in their percentages from diets to feces. The higher flavonoid intake in the leaf eating season may confer health benefits in the gut for the hosts by regulating the composition of gut microbiota, for which the microbial VFs were downregulated in the whole gut microbial community
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
