The Impact of Long‐Term Intake of Phenolic Compounds‐Rich Grape Pomace on Rat Gut Microbiota

The aim of this work is to evaluate the impact on the rat microbiota of long‐term feeding with phenolic compounds (PC) rich grape pomace extracts. Thirty, 2‐mo‐old rats, were divided into 5 groups. Four groups were treated with different concentrations of PC (2.5, 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg/d diluted in 0.1% DMSO), and 1 group received 0.1% Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) alone (control group). The daily treatment lasted 14 mo. Major phenolic compounds constituents were characterized by the high‐performance liquid chromatography and free radical scavenging capacity was measured by means of the DPPH assay. Fecal samples from young rats (2‐mo old), and rats daily fed with PC or DMSO were collected at 6 and 14 mo posttreatment. The gut microbiota composition was analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Bifidobacterium was significantly higher in the groups PC 2.5 and PC 5 than in control and young rats. Lactobacillus decreased with time in all treated and untreated groups. Bacteroides, Clostridium leptum subgroup (Clostridium cluster IV), and Enterococcus were not significantly changed by PC at any concentration when compared to control; nevertheless, after 14 mo of treatment all concentrations of PC abolished the increase of Clostridium sensu stricto (cluster I) (Clostridium Cluster I) observed in the control group when compared to young rats. PC do modulate selectively rat gut microbiome to a healthier phenotype in long‐term feeding rats, and could counteract the adverse outcomes of aging on gut bacterial population. Practical Application This research shows that phenolic‐rich grape pomace extracts exhibiting a high antioxidant activity, selectively modulate rat gut microbiota to a healthier phenotype within age in a long‐term feeding rats.