Pectin in diet: Interactions with the human microbiome, role in gut homeostasis, and nutrient-drug interactions

•Pectins are dietary components in fruits and vegetables of several health benefits.•Pectin metabolism is mediated via gut microbiota to SCFAs for absorption and cellular benefits.•Culture-dependent and independent approaches identified key pectinolytic organisms in gut bacteria.•A review of microbial community shifts associated with pectin ingestion in the human GIT is presented.•Pectin modulates gut inflammatory and immune status in a structure-dependent manner. Pectins are a part of daily diet as well as food additives that are indigestible polysaccharides by human enzymes, however, they can be easily degraded by gut bacteria with the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Knowledge of pectin gut homeostasis and further how pectin affect gut bacterial communities is insufficient and limited. This review focuses on providing the whole story of how pectin functions as prebiotics in the gut. Understanding the interplay between functional and immunological responses inside animal or human gut as influenced by pectin in diets is provided. The interaction between pectin and gut microbiota is presented from both sides, in terms of how pectin affects gut microbiome and or the fermentation products produced in response by gut bacteria. This knowledge can be used to define preferred dietary pectins, targeting beneficial bacteria, and favoring balanced microbiota communities in the gut to maximize pectins’ health benefits.