Recent advances on dietary polyphenol's potential roles in Celiac Disease
Ricardo Dias Trends in Food Science & Technology Volume 107, January 2021, Pages 213-225
Highlights
• Widely distributed in plant-based foodstuffs, polyphenols have been in the spotlight of recent researches exploiting their therapeutical value in Celiac Disease management.
• Polyphenols may counteract gluten cytotoxicity by acting at several different molecular levels.
• Many of the pathways underpinning the dietary polyphenol's potential in Celiac Disease remain largely unexplored, including their probiotic-like effects and immunomodulatory properties.
• This pioneering review lays the foundations for future studies aiming at unraveling the functional and technological applicability of polyphenols in Celiac Disease.
Over the last years, epidemiological and population-based studies have suggested that a continuous and prolonged intake of fruits, vegetables and whole-grains - all rich sources of polyphenols -, may contribute to the prevention of age-related chronic diseases. However, conclusive proof and understanding of the health benefits provided by polyphenols on a Celiac Disease framework remain largely unexplored, notwithstanding the unmet need for alternative treatments to a gluten-free diet.
Herein, this topic has been thoroughly explored based on the most recent scientific breakthroughs, bringing light into the remarkable potential and molecular mechanisms by which polyphenols may become valuable allies against the cytotoxicity of gluten proteins, based on their ability to interact with and reduce the bioavailability of immunogenic peptides, to counteract oxidative stress and inflammation, to regulate intestinal epithelial barrier integrity and function, to affect the gut microbial ecosystem, and to modulate immune responses.
Altogether, this review opens up new horizons concerning the rational development, applicability and/or valorization of polyphenol-rich functional foods by industry as a promising nutritional strategy to manage and prevent Celiac Disease.