Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Structural Biology and Analytical Chemistry Approaches for Characterizing C-Glycoside Metabolic Enzymes in Human Gut Microbiota
Published on: May 23, 2025
Conversion of dehydrodiferulic acids by human intestinal microbiota
Annett Braune1, Mirko Bunzel, Reiko Yonekura
1Department of Gastrointestinal Microbiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany. braune@dife.de
Abstract:
Plant cell wall associated dehydrodiferulic acids (DFA) are abundant components of cereal insoluble dietary fibers ingested by humans. The ability of human intestinal microbiota to convert DFA was studied in vitro by incubating 8-O-4- and 5-5-coupled DFA with fecal suspensions. 8-O-4-DFA was completely degraded by the intestinal microbiota of the majority of donors, yielding homovanillic acid, 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)propionic acid, and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid as the main metabolites. The transient formation of ferulic acid and presumably 3-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)pyruvic acid suggests an initial cleavage of the ether bond. In contrast to 8-O-4-DFA, the 5-5-coupled DFA was not cleaved into monomers by any of the fecal suspensions. Only the side chains were hydrogenated and the methoxy groups were demethylated. The cleavage of DFA by human intestinal microbiota, which depended on their coupling type, may affect both the bioavailability of DFA and the degradability of DFA-coupled fiber in the gut.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Microbiota of the Large Intestine
Dysbiosis of the Gut Microbiota
Development of Human Microbiota
What is Monogastric Digestion?
Bacterial Flora of the Large Intestine
The normal gut flora of the colon plays a critical role in generating essential vitamins such as vitamins K, B5, and B7.
Functions of the Gut Microbiota

