Resveratrol: From nutrient to drug

The medicinal properties of resveratrol are widely accepted. It is a remarkable and versatile nutrient, and as a result, it is not only a popular dietary supplement, but also the basis for drugs currently in development (Khattar S, 2022).
However, any article praising the numerous beneficial properties of resveratrol also points out that resveratrol is very poorly absorbed and you need very high doses to have any effect. Consequently, pharmaceutical research has predominantly concentrated on developing “highly bioavailable” resveratrol, while natural resveratrol, present in food and plants, works just fine.

Resveratrol is activated by gut bacteria

Resveratrol is converted by gut bacteria into breakdown products (metabolites) such as dihydro-resveratrol and lunularin, which are more active than resveratrol itself and have stronger anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. The use of antibiotics (which kill gut bacteria and disrupt the gut microbiome) reduces the production of these active metabolites (Li F, 2022).

The importance of a healthy gut flora for the action and activation of resveratrol explains why resveratrol intake does not have the same beneficial effect in everyone. Supplementation with probiotics (e.g., lactobacilli) can enhance the action of resveratrol in the short term, in part by increasing the production of dihydro-resveratrol (Fei Y, 2022). In the long term, resveratrol itself has a beneficial effect on intestinal flora, and thus on its own action.

Referenties

Khattar S, Khan SA, Zaidi SAA, et al. Resveratrol from Dietary Supplement to a Drug Candidate: An Assess- ment of Potential. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2022 Aug 1;15(8):957. doi: 10.3390/ph15080957. PMID: 36015105; PMCID: PMC9412308.
Li F, Han Y, Wu X, et al. Gut Microbiota-Derived Res- veratrol Metabolites, Dihydroresveratrol and Lunularin, Significantly Contribute to the Biological Activities of Resveratrol. Front Nutr. 2022 May 11;9:912591. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.912591. PMID: 35634412; PMCID: PMC9131081.
Fei Y, Zhang S, Han S, et al. The Role of Dihydroresveratrol in Enhancing the Synergistic Effect of Ligilactobacillus salivarius Li01 and Resveratrol in Ameliorating Colitis in Mice. Research (Wash D C). 2022 Jun 14;2022:9863845. doi: 10.34133/2022/9863845. PMID: 35935130; PMCID: PMC9275091.

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