Targeting gut microbiota with dietary components on cancer: Effects and potential mechanisms of action

AbstractCancers are common chronic diseases worldwide and cause severe health burdens. There have been ongoing debates on the role of gut microbiota in the prevention and management of cancers, thus, it is worthwhile to pay high attention to the impacts of gut microbiota on several cancers, such as colon, liver, and breast cancers. In addition, it has been reported that gut microbiota may also affect the efficacy of cancer chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Among all the factors that influence gut microbiota, diet is the most influential and modifiable. The prebiotics, dietary fibers, short-chain fatty acids, and other bioactive compounds are all important dietary components to assist the growth of beneficial microbiota in the gut, which can protect against cancers and promote human health. Their beneficial effects can be due to the fermentation of dietary fibers, the metabolism of phytochemicals, the synthesis of estrogens, and interactions with chemotherapies and immunotherapies. In order to provide update...