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Human Nutrition and Metabolism

Isoflavones and Functional Foods Alter the Dominant Intestinal Microbiota in Postmenopausal Women¹

Thomas Clavel^*,, Matteo Fallani^*, Patricia Lepage^*, Florence Levenez^*, Jacinthe Mathey^**, Violaine Rochet^*, Michèle Sérézat^*, Malène Sutren^*, Gemma Henderson, Catherine Bennetau-Pelissero, Françoise Tondu, Michael Blaut, Joël Doré^*,2 and Véronique Coxam^**

^* Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Unité d’Ecologie et de Physiologie du Système Digestif, Jouy-en-Josas, France; German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Department of Gastrointestinal Microbiology, Nuthetal, Germany; ^** Groupe Ostéoporose, U3M, INRA Theix, Saint Genès-Champanelle, France; Unité Micronutriments, Reproduction, Santé, ENITA de Bordeaux, Gradignan, France; and Danone Vitapole, Nutrition and Health Research, Palaiseau, France

²To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: dore{at}jouy.inra.fr.

ABSTRACT

Dietary phytoestrogens, such as isoflavones, are used as food additives to prevent menopause-related disorders. In addition to other factors, their bioavailability strongly depends on the activity of intestinal bacteria but the underlying interactions remain poorly understood. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was undertaken with 39 postmenopausal women to characterize changes in the dominant microbial communities of the intestinal tract after 2 mo of isoflavone supplementation with and without pro- or prebiotic. The diversity and composition of the dominant microbiota were analyzed by temporal temperature-gradient gel electrophoresis (TTGE) and fluorescent in situ hybridization. Isoflavones alone stimulated dominant microorganisms of the Clostridium coccoides-Eubacterium rectale cluster, Lactobacillus-Enterococcus group, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii subgroup, and Bifidobacterium genus. The stimulation of the Clostridium coccoides-Eubacterium rectale cluster depended on the women’s equol excretion and was transient, with the exception of a prolonged bifidogenic effect. Lasting changes in the diversity of the dominant species were also observed. The probiotic strain supplied could be detected by TTGE during its passage through the intestinal tract, and ingestion of fructooligosaccharides triggered a marked and specific bifidogenic effect. In conclusion, this is the first human study that shows changes in the diversity and composition of dominant bacterial communities in response to dietary supplementation with hormone-related compounds combined with functional foods.

KEY WORDS: • isoflavone metabolism • intestinal microbiota • functional foods • postmenopausal disorders

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