Yves Desjardins

Institute of Nutrition and Functional Food, Laval University, Québec, Canada · Plant Science

The development of cardiometabolic (CM) diseases is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation, partly linked to alterations of the gut microbiota (GM) and reduced intestinal integrity. The SINFONI project investigates a multifunctional (MF) nutritional strategy’s impact combining different bioactive compounds on inflammation, GM modulation and...

Flavan-3-ols intake is associated with numerous health benefits, but these are influenced by their conversion into smaller phenolic metabolites by the gut microbiota. Thus, the identification of bacteria that metabolize flavan-3-ols could lead to targeted interventions to enhance their benefits. To this end, we screened 47 Lactiplantibacillus plant...

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects 25% of the adult population with no effective drug treatments available. Previous animal studies reported that a polyphenol-rich extract from the Amazonian berry camu-camu (CC) prevented hepatic steatosis in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity. This study aims to determine the impact of CC on hepa...

Polyphenols are phytochemicals commonly found in plant-based diets which have demonstrated immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the interplay between polyphenols and pathogens at mucosal barrier surfaces has not yet been elucidated in detail. Here, we show that proanthocyanidin (PAC) polyphenols interact with gut parasites to...

Some Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains produce an extracellular tannase that converts galloylated ellagitannins into ellagitannin-core structures and bioactive phenolic metabolites, thereby promoting the health effects of these polyphenols.

Background: Proanthocyanidins (PAC) and oligosaccharides from cranberry exhibit multiple bioactive health properties and persist intact in the colon post-ingestion. They display a complex bidirectional interaction with the microbiome, which varies based on both time and specific regions of the gut; the nature of this interaction remains inadequatel...

Aims Disturbances exert direct and indirect effects on plants through alterations of soil properties and microbiota composition. This can induce stress, resulting in modifications of plants’ phytochemical profile. This in turn can affect the possibility for Indigenous people to engage in cultural activities depending on wild plants used as food or...

Cranberry is associated with multiple health benefits, which are mostly attributed to its high content of (poly)phenols, particularly flavan-3-ols. However, clinical trials attempting to demonstrate these positive effects have yielded heterogeneous results, partly due to the high inter-individual variability associated with gut microbiota interacti...

Background: Emerging evidence underscores the significance of fruits and vegetables in ameliorating metabolic disorders. However, a comprehensive understanding of the specific role of apple (poly)phenols, a major component of apples, in preventing and treating metabolic diseases remains to be fully elucidated. Scope and approach: This study aimed...

Clinical trials investigating the health effects of flavan‐3‐ols yield heterogeneous results due to interindividual variability in the gut microbiota metabolism. In fact, different groups in the population have similar metabolic profiles following (−)‐epicatechin and (+)‐catechin gut microbial metabolism and can be regrouped into so‐called metaboty...

Polyphenols are phytochemicals commonly found in plant-based diets which have demonstrated immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the interplay between polyphenols and pathogens at mucosal barrier surfaces has not yet been elucidated in detail. Here, we show that proanthocyanidin (PAC) polyphenols interact with gut parasites to...

In vitro systems are widely employed to assess the impact of dietary compounds on the gut microbiota and their conversion into beneficial bacterial metabolites. However, the complex fluid dynamics and multi‐segmented nature of these systems can complicate the comprehensive analysis of dietary compound fate, potentially confounding physical dilution...

Influenza antiviral drugs are important tools in our fight against both annual influenza epidemics and pandemics. Polyphenols are a group of compounds found in plants, some of which have demonstrated promising antiviral activity. Previous in vitro and mouse studies have outlined the anti-influenza virus effectiveness of the polyphenol epigallocatec...

Although the relationship between gut microbiota and flavan-3-ol metabolism differs greatly between individuals, the specific metabolic profiles, known as metabotypes, have not yet been clearly defined. In this study, fecal batch fermentations of 34 healthy donors inoculated with (-)-epicatechin were stratified into groups based on their conversion...

Background: Excessive hedonic consumption is one of the main drivers for weight gain. Identifying contributors of this dysregulation would help to tackle obesity. The gut microbiome is altered during obesity and regulates host metabolism including food intake. Results: By using fecal material transplantation (FMT) from lean or obese mice into re...

While the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is steadily increasing worldwide, no optimal pharmacotherapy is readily available to address its multifaceted risk factors and halt its complications. This growing challenge mandates the development of other future curative directions. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the efficacy...

Extracellular tannase Lactiplantibacillus plantarum-producing strains (TanA+) release bioactive metabolites from dietary tannins. However, there is a paucity of knowledge of TanA+ strains and their hydrolyzing capacities. This study aimed to shed light on the metabolic and genomic features of TanA+ L. plantarum strains and to develop a screening te...

Many strategies are used to quantify microbial (poly)phenol metabolites (MPMs) in urine. Currently, to obtain accurate results, the use of phase II conjugate analytical standards is deemed to be the gold standard. However, these standards are expensive or commercially unavailable. Quantification using an affordable and commercially available unconj...

Consumption of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) provides multifaceted health benefits. Recent studies suggest that ω-3 PUFAs modulate the gut microbiota by enhancing health-promoting bacteria, such as the mucin specialist Akkermansia muciniphila. However, these prebiotic prop...

Objective Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in germ-free (GF) mice is a common approach to study the causal role of the gut microbiota in metabolic diseases. Lack of consideration of housing conditions post-FMT may contribute to study heterogeneity. We compared the impact of two housing strategies on the metabolic outcomes of GF mice colonise...

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) ecology-pathophysiology from the gut reservoir to its urothelium infection site is poorly understood, resulting in equivocal benefits in the use of cranberry as prophylaxis against urinary tract infections. To add further understanding from the previous findings on PAC antiadhesive properties against UPEC, we a...

The consumption of plant-based bioactive compounds modulates the gut microbiota and interacts with the innate and adaptive immune responses associated with metabolic disorders. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of cranberry polyphenols (CP), rich in flavonoids, and agavins (AG), a highly branched agave-derived neo-fructans, on cardiome...

Oxidative stress and chronic inflammation contribute to some chronic diseases. Aronia berries are rich in polyphenols. The aim of the present study was to characterize the cellular antioxidant effect of an aronia extract to reflect the potential physiological in vivo effect. Cellular in vitro assays in three cell lines (Caco-2, HepG2, and SH-SY5Y)...

Strawberries are one of the most consumed fruits worldwide. Scientific research has revealed unique nutraceutical properties, mainly steaming from their content of polyphenols and fructooligosaccharides (FOS), well known prebiotics. Here, we report the fingerprint (chemical composition) of strawberries as molecular markers of geographical origin, g...

The ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) urgently needs effective antivirals. After over 2 years since the beginning of the pandemic, only a few FDA approved therapeutic options are available to treat the population. Combination therapies have become a standar...

Key message The interaction between exogenous IBA with sucrose, light and ventilation, alters the expression of ARFs and Aux/IAA genes in in vitro grown Carica papaya plantlets. Abstract In vitro papaya plantlets normally show low rooting percentages during their ex vitro establishment that eventually leads to high mortality when transferred to fi...

Returning turfgrass clippings to soil (i.e., mulching) has been shown to yield many benefits, such as reducing fertilizer requirements. However, previous reports on the contribution of clippings to turfgrass fertilization varies widely, making it difficult for turfgrass managers to adjust their fertilization practices. Other potential benefits of t...

Antioxidant activity (AA), total polyphenols content (TPC) and polyphenols profile (PP) were investigated during 10 days of postharvest ripening, in peels and pulps from fruits from three Carica papaya genotypes of different origin. Wild-genotype (WG) collected in Yucatan, Mexico (part of its center of origin) showed higher AA and TPC values than t...

Organic strawberry production is faced with several biotic and abiotic stresses that compromise crop productivity and berry quality. In order to improve yield and berry quality, we have compared the potential beneficial effects of seven biostimulant treatments 1- control without biostimulant (CONTROL), 2- seaweed extract (SEAWEED), 3- mycorrhiza Rh...

The genome of gut microbes encodes a collection of enzymes whose metabolic functions contribute to the bioavailability and bioactivity of unabsorbed (poly)phenols. Datasets from high throughput sequencing, metabolome measurements, and other omics have expanded the understanding of the different modes of actions by which (poly)phenols modulate the m...

COVID-19 represents a novel infectious disease induced by SARS-CoV-2. It has to date affected 24,240,000 individuals and killed 2,735,805 people worldwide. The highly infectious virus attacks mainly the lung causing fever, cough and fatigue in symptomatic patients, but also pneumonia in severe cases. However, growing evidence highlights SARS-CoV-2-...

Some polyphenols have been reported to modulate the expression of several genes related to lipid metabolism and insulin signaling, ameliorating metabolic disorders. We investigated the potential for the polyphenols of two varieties of grumixama, the purple fruit rich in anthocyanins and the yellow fruit, both also rich in ellagitannins, to attenuat...

N-Arachidonoyl-ethanolamine (AEA) is an endocannabinoid (eCB) and endogenous lipid mimicking many of the effects of Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol, notably on brain functions, appetite, pain and inflammation. The eCBs and eCB-like compounds contain fatty acids, the main classes being the monoacylglycerols and the N-acyl-ethanolamines (NAEs). Thus, each lo...

Purpose Our objective was to assess the efficacy of a high dose cranberry proanthocyanidin extract for the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infection. Material and methods We recruited 145 healthy, adult women with a history of recurrent urinary tract infection, defined as ≥ 2 in the past 6 months or ≥ 3 in the past 12 months in this randomiz...

Polyphenols (PLPs), phytochemicals found in a wide range of plant-based foods, have gained extensive attention in view of their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and several additional beneficial activities. The health-promoting effects noted in animal models of various non-communicable diseases explain the growing interest in these...

Recent advances have added another dimension to the complexity of cardiometabolic disorders (CMD) by directly implicating the gastrointestinal tract as a key player. In fact, multiple factors could interfere with intestinal homeostasis and elicit extra-intestinal CMD. As oxidative stress (OxS), inflammation, insulin resistance and lipid abnormaliti...

The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) concept has been proposed to explain the influence of environmental conditions during critical developmental stages on the risk of diseases in adulthood. The aim of this study was to compare the impact of the prenatal vs. postnatal environment on the gut microbiota in dams during the preconcep...

Lifestyle factors, especially diet and nutrition, are currently regarded as essential avenues to decrease modern-day cardiometabolic disorders (CMD), including obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and atherosclerosis. Many groups around the world attribute these trends, at least partially, to bioactive plant polyphenols given their anti-ox...

Berries are rich in polyphenols and plant cell wall polysaccharides (fibers), including cellulose, hemicellulose, arabinans and arabino-xyloglucans rich pectin. Most of polyphenols and fibers are known to be poorly absorbed in the small intestine and reach the colon where they interact with the gut microbiota, conferring health benefits to the host...

The goal of this study was to optimize an innovative ultrahigh-pressure–assisted extraction method for phenolic compounds of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) using response surface methodology (RSM). A four-factor-three-level Box–Behnken design (BBD) was used to test the following extraction parameters: ethanol concentration (X1), solvent to samp...

Increasing evidence indicates that fruits contain functional bio-active compounds that have several preventive and therapeutic health benefits. Our group has recently conducted studies in order to assess the potential effects of cranberry polyphenolic fractions on intestinal Caco 2/15 epithelial cells and a substantial reduction in oxidative stress...

Objectives Cranberry products are often used by women to prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs) but literature regarding their efficacy remains discordant. The clinical efficacy of cranberry products for prevention of UTIs in healthy women could be increased by 1) using an optimal dose of cranberry extract standardized in proanthocyanidins (PACs);...

Blueberry consumption can prevent obesity-linked metabolic diseases and it has been proposed that its polyphenol content may contribute to these effects. Polyphenols have been shown to favourably impact metabolic health, but the role of specific polyphenol classes, and whether the gut microbiota is linked to these effects remains unclear. We aimed...

Dairy beverages containing emulsified linseed oil is a suitable vehicle for delivering polyunsaturated fatty acids to consumers. However, these beverages are prone to oxidation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of adding various concentrations (0, 0.001, 0.01 and 0.1% (w/w)) of green tea extract (GTE) to dairy beverages (DB) con...

Blueberries are a rich source of polyphenols, widely studied for the prevention or attenuation of metabolic diseases. However, the health contribution and mechanisms of action of polyphenols depend on their type and structure. Here, we evaluated the effects of a wild blueberry polyphenolic extract (WBE) (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton) on cardiometa...

The objective of this study was to develop a safe and ecologically sustainable protocol, to extract and separate lutein and chlorophyll from spinach discards. A saponification in an aqueous medium was carried out to release the phytyl aliphatic chain from the porphyrin ring of chlorophyll. Polar chlorophyll derivatives were formed, remaining in the...

The present work evaluated the effects of feed supplementation with plant extracts (onion, cranberry) and a commercial essential oil product (Xtract™) on rabbit meat quality. Five groups of 48 weaned Grimaud female rabbits each received a control ration (C) or a diet supplemented with onion extract (500 or 1000 ppm), cranberry extracts (500 ppm) an...

Objective The consumption of fruits is strongly associated with better health and higher bacterial diversity in the gut microbiota (GM). Camu camu (Myrciaria dubia) is an Amazonian fruit with a unique phytochemical profile, strong antioxidant potential and purported anti-inflammatory potential. Design By using metabolic tests coupled with 16S rRNA...

Polyphenols are promising nutritional bioactives exhibiting beneficial effect on age-related cognitive decline. The present study evaluated the effect of a polyphenol-rich extract from grape and blueberry (PEGB) on memory of healthy elderly subjects (60–70 years-old). A bicentric, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted wit...

The blueberry is recognised as a source of phenolic compounds that have beneficial effects on human health; however, they possess low bioavailability and can be degraded by gastrointestinal conditions. Encapsulation has been widely used to mitigate these disadvantages; Gum Arabic (GA) and Corn Syrup Solids (CSS) are common carriers used in this tec...

Ageing is characterised by memory deficits, associated with brain plasticity impairment. Polyphenols from berries, such as flavan-3-ols, anthocyanins, and resveratrol, have been suggested to modulate synaptic plasticity and cognitive processes. In the present study we assessed the preventive effect of a polyphenol-rich extract from grape and bluebe...

Background Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are amongst the most common bacterial infections affecting women. Although antibiotics are the treatment of choice for UTI, cranberry derived products have been used for many years to prevent UTIs, with limited evidence as to their efficacy. Our objective is to assess the efficacy of a cranberry extract ca...

BACKGROUND: Skunk currant is widely dispersed across North America and a feature of some traditional North American indigenous diets. Whereas many wild and cultivated berries have attracting interest related to their antioxidant phenolic metabolites and putative health benefits in humans, very few data are available concerning skunk currant phytoch...

Aims/hypothesis: There is growing evidence that fruit polyphenols exert beneficial effects on the metabolic syndrome, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In the present study, we aimed to analyse the effects of polyphenolic extracts from five types of Arctic berries in a model of diet-induced obesity. Methods: Male C57BL/6 J...

Industrial vegetable wastes contain high amounts of valuable molecules and constitute a valuable source of bioactive compounds providing health benefits. Spinach (Spinacia oleracea), a green leafy vegetable, is known to its valuable phytochemical's content. However, its production yields about 25% of wastes that can be valorized for the production...

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are multifaceted and relapsing immune disorders, which necessitate long-term dependence on powerful drugs. As the use of natural product-based therapies has emerged as a promising intervention, the present study aimed to further characterize dried apple peel powder (DAPP) mechanisms of action, and evaluate the prev...

With the expanding population and the shrinking area for conventional horticulture and home gardens within cities, the idea of roof gardening in towns has evolved. New technologies have been developed to grow a series of horticultural crops in different types of containers. Information is provided on the productivity of different technologies used...

The agrifood industry produces tons of waste and substandard products that are discarded at great expense. Valorization of industrial residues curbs issues related to food security and environmental problems. Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) is associated with varied beneficial health effects, but its production yields greater than 25% rej...

Objective: Previous studies have reported that polyphenol-rich extracts from various sources can prevent obesity and associated gastro-hepatic and metabolic disorders in diet-induced obese (DIO) mice. However, whether such extracts can reverse obesity-linked metabolic alterations remains unknown. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the p...

Among many functional foods and their phytochemicals, ingestion of soybean (Glycine max) is highly correlated to reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases. Validation of potential health benefits of functional foods requires information about the bioavailability and metabolism of bioactive compounds. In this context, several phase I and II metabolite...