Polyphenols and ulcerative colitis: An exploratory study of the effects of red wine consumption on gut and oral microbiome in active-phase patients

Polyphenols and ulcerative colitis: An exploratory study of the effects of red wine consumption on gut and oral microbiome in active-phase patients
A paper published in the journal, Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, explores the effects of moderate red wine consumption on the clinical status and symptomatology of patients with ulcerative colitis, including the study of the oral and intestinal microbiome.
A case control intervention study in ulcerative colitis patients was designed. Five intervention patients consumed red wine (250 mL day-1) for 4 weeks whereas five control patients did not. Moderate wine consumption significantly improved some clinical parameters related to serum iron, and alleviated intestinal symptoms as evaluated by the IBDQ-32 questionnaire. 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated a non-significant increase in bacterial alpha diversity after wine intervention in both saliva and fecal microbiota. Additional comparison of taxonomic data between ulcerative colitis patients (n = 10) and healthy subjects (n = 8) confirmed intestinal dysbiosis (and imbalance of gut microbiota associated with an unhealthy outcome) for the ulcerative colitis patients. Finally, analysis of fecal metabolites (i.e., phenolic acids and SCFAs) indicates a non-significant increase for the ulcerative colitis patients that consumed wine.
Moderate and regular red wine intake seems to improve the clinical status and symptoms of ulcerative colitis patients in the active phase of the disease. However, studies with a greater sample size are required to achieve conclusive results, the authors say.
Source: Taladrid D, Zorraquín-Peña I, Molinero N, Silva M, Manceñido N, Pajares R, Bartolomé B, Moreno-Arribas MV. Polyphenols and Ulcerative Colitis: An Exploratory Study of the Effects of Red Wine Consumption on Gut and Oral Microbiome in Active-Phase Patients. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2022 Nov;66(21):e2101073.