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<p>The gut microbiota is a highly complex microbial ecosystem that plays fundamental roles in digestion, immune regulation, nutrient metabolism, intestinal barrier maintenance, and systemic physiological homeostasis. Disruptions in microbial balance, referred to as dysbiosis, are increasingly associated with chronic disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease, metabolic syndrome, neurodegenerative conditions, and colorectal cancer. Dietary modulation of the gut microbiota through prebiotics has emerged as a promising strategy for promoting health and reducing disease risk. This scoping review examines the prebiotic potential of plant-based foods and plant-derived compounds, with emphasis on their capacity to modulate gut microbial composition, stimulate short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, and improve host metabolic and immunological functions. Peer-reviewed articles, clinical trials, and experimental studies published between 2010 and 2025 were identified through PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar, following established scoping review methodology. Evidence is synthesized across fruits, vegetables, cereals, legumes, nuts, spices, and plant food by-products, demonstrating that these materials provide diverse nondigestible saccharides, resistant polysaccharides, and polyphenolic compounds that collectively enrich beneficial microbial taxa, suppress pathogens, increase microbial diversity, and enhance SCFA formation. Polyphenols exert additional prebiotic-like effects through microbial biotransformation, selective antimicrobial action, barrier reinforcement, and anti-inflammatory signalling. Recurrent microbial responses across the reviewed literature include enrichment of <i>Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Roseburia, Prevotella, and Akkermansia muciniphila,</i> alongside improved gut barrier integrity, reduced inflammatory markers, better lipid and glucose regulation, and enhanced immune and metabolic health. The review highlights that plant-based foods function as multifunctional prebiotic systems, owing to the synergistic action of their saccharides, polyphenols, and associated bioactive constituents, rather than as isolated fibre sources. These findings support the growing recognition of whole plant foods and plant-derived by-products as valuable tools for microbiota-directed nutrition and chronic disease prevention. Further research is needed to clarify structure–function relationships, interindividual variability in microbial response, and translation of experimental findings into personalized dietary and clinical interventions.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>

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Prebiotic potentials of plant-based foods: modulation of gut microbiota, short-chain fatty acid production, and functional health outcomes

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月19日

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  • Esther Opeyemi Abolarinwa,
  • Thierry Antoine Awono Edzili,
  • Asmau Niwoye Abubakar,
  • Hadiza Lami Muhammad,
  • Anthony Hussaini Makun

摘要

The gut microbiota is a highly complex microbial ecosystem that plays fundamental roles in digestion, immune regulation, nutrient metabolism, intestinal barrier maintenance, and systemic physiological homeostasis. Disruptions in microbial balance, referred to as dysbiosis, are increasingly associated with chronic disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease, metabolic syndrome, neurodegenerative conditions, and colorectal cancer. Dietary modulation of the gut microbiota through prebiotics has emerged as a promising strategy for promoting health and reducing disease risk. This scoping review examines the prebiotic potential of plant-based foods and plant-derived compounds, with emphasis on their capacity to modulate gut microbial composition, stimulate short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, and improve host metabolic and immunological functions. Peer-reviewed articles, clinical trials, and experimental studies published between 2010 and 2025 were identified through PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar, following established scoping review methodology. Evidence is synthesized across fruits, vegetables, cereals, legumes, nuts, spices, and plant food by-products, demonstrating that these materials provide diverse nondigestible saccharides, resistant polysaccharides, and polyphenolic compounds that collectively enrich beneficial microbial taxa, suppress pathogens, increase microbial diversity, and enhance SCFA formation. Polyphenols exert additional prebiotic-like effects through microbial biotransformation, selective antimicrobial action, barrier reinforcement, and anti-inflammatory signalling. Recurrent microbial responses across the reviewed literature include enrichment of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Roseburia, Prevotella, and Akkermansia muciniphila, alongside improved gut barrier integrity, reduced inflammatory markers, better lipid and glucose regulation, and enhanced immune and metabolic health. The review highlights that plant-based foods function as multifunctional prebiotic systems, owing to the synergistic action of their saccharides, polyphenols, and associated bioactive constituents, rather than as isolated fibre sources. These findings support the growing recognition of whole plant foods and plant-derived by-products as valuable tools for microbiota-directed nutrition and chronic disease prevention. Further research is needed to clarify structure–function relationships, interindividual variability in microbial response, and translation of experimental findings into personalized dietary and clinical interventions.

Graphical Abstract