Phenolic profile of bayberry followed by simulated gastrointestinal digestion and gut microbiota fermentation and its antioxidant potential in HepG2 cells

Abstract Bayberry (BB) fruits contain high levels of polyphenols and possess good bioactivities. However, there are no specific studies to illustrate the impact of human gut microbiota fermentation (HGMF) on BB polyphenols subjected to gastrointestinal digestion (GID). Therefore, in this study, BB was subjected to simulated GID and HGMF (0–48 h) in order to study the fate of BB bioactive components. Phenolic gut metabolites were identified and quantified by relevant standards using HPLC. Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside was the only anthocyanin in BB and could be detected in its free form even after gut fermentation for 24 h. Gut metabolites of BB showed better hypoglycemic activity by improving hepatic glucose consumption and glycogen content. Furthermore, gut metabolites significantly ameliorated glucolipotoxicity induced oxidative stress. Since BB gut metabolites showed good hypoglycemic and antioxidant activities, BB can be considered as a functional food and dietary supplementation of BB could help in maintenance of good health.