Chronic consumption of orange juice modifies urinary excretion of flavanone gut-derived metabolites through gut microbiota modulation

Abstract

The metabolism and absorption of citrus flavanones are intrinsically linked to the gut microbiota, creating a bidirectional relationship where these compounds influence the microbiome, and in turn, the microbiota affects their metabolism. This study evaluates the effect of acute and chronic consumption of orange juice (OJ) on the urinary excretion of gut-derived flavanone metabolites and the gut microbiota. Health volunteers ingested 500 mL of OJ for 60 days in a single-arm human intervention study. Blood and feces were collected at baseline and after 60 days, with an additional 24-hour urine collection after a single dose on day 1 and day 63. LC-MS/MS analyzed urinary flavanone metabolites, while 16S rRNA sequencing characterized gut microbiota. Total urinary hesperetin conjugates excretion significantly decreased over 60 days, while gut-derived total phenolic acids, particularly three hydroxybenzoic acids, increased. Moreover, the heterogeneity of the total amount of flavanone conjugates, initially categorizing individuals into high-, medium- and low- urinary excretor profiles, shifted towards medium-excretor, except for five individuals who remained as low-excretors. This alteration was accompanied by a decrease in intestinal β-glucosidase activity and a shift in the relative abundance of specific genera, such as decreases in Blautia, Eubacterium hallii, Anaerostipes, and Fusicatenibacter, among which, Blautia was associated with higher urinary flavanone conjugates excretion. Conversely, an increase in Prevotella was observed. In summary, chronic OJ consumption induced transient changes in gut microbiota and altered the metabolism of citrus flavanones, leading to distinct urinary excretion profiles of flavanone metabolites.

Keywords: Bioavailability; Citrus; Flavanone; Gut microbiota; Interindividual variation; Urinary.