[Gallic acid regulates microbe and microbial community: process and molecular mechanism]

Gallic acid, a widely distributed plant-derived phenolic acid, exhibits diverse biological functions, including stress responses, antimicrobial activity, and antioxidant properties, rendering it valuable in pharmaceutical, food, and agricultural applications. Polyphenolic compounds such as gallic acid can effectively regulate the metabolic processes of microorganisms. Elucidating how such compounds influence the composition and structure of microbial communities represents an important research direction in current microbiome studies. This study reviewed research on the mechanisms by which gallic acid disrupts microbial cell membranes, interferes with energy metabolism, inhibits biofilm development, and suppresses virulence factor production. Furthermore, it also summarized the adaptive strategies employed by microorganisms, including metabolic transformation (complete degradation and non-oxidative decarboxylation) and stress defense (efflux, biofilm formation, etc.). Gallic acid acts as both an antibiotic and a probiotic in animal- and plant-microbiome interactions, thereby modulating the species composition, community structure and functions of the microbiome, subsequently influencing host growth, development, and immune responses. Future research will focus on in-depth analysis of the molecular targets of gallic acid and its functions and applications in microbiome reprogramming.