2022 Volume 75 Issue 2 Pages 77-82
There is growing interest in the physiological functions of polyphenols. In this study, the author focused on poorly absorbable polyphenols such as procyanidins and theaflavin and their physiologically beneficial functions. These compounds are condensed tannins and have no functionality due to their poor bioavailability. It was found that procyanidins exhibited a novel mechanism whereby hyperglycemia and obesity were prevented by promoting the secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) from intestinal L cells. Such secretion of GLP-1 also had an ameliorating effect on vascular dysfunction by activating endothelial nitric oxide synthase. GLP-1 secretion triggered by these polyphenols was also involved in circadian rhythm. These results suggest that poorly absorbable polyphenols can exert various bioregulatory functions via a signaling network among multiple organs, and that these functions exhibit a specific timing.
