Microbial production and transformation of polyphenols

Polyphenols are important secondary metabolites from plants, largely found in plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, herbs, legumes spices, and tea. Polyphenols are associated with numerous health benefits such as antiinflammatory, antioxidants, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, cardio-protective, immunoprotective, and antitumor effects. As naturally occurring in diverse chemical structures, polyphenols are divided into many types such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, stilbenes, and lignans. Microbial fermentation leads to hydrolysis and transformation of polyphenol from bound to free form which improves its health benefits. Further, polyphenols are produced using recombinant microorganisms having various advantages over the chemical synthesis process. The interdependent association of polyphenolic compounds and gut microbiota contributes to beneficial health effects in host. The chapter involves the microbial process for production and enhancement of polyphenols during fermentation.