A comprehensive review on food hydrocolloids as gut modulators in the food matrix and nutrition: The hydrocolloid-gut-health axis

Abstract

Background Food hydrocolloids are versatile natural food ingredients, which can be authentically present in food matrices or can be added as functional food ingredients and/or food additives. All hydrocolloids are common in industrial use with enhancers of viscosity, emulsifiers, coating, gelling agents, stabilizing agents and/or thermodynamic stability providers. While safety issues of hydrocolloids in the food industry have been discussed until now, research has turned to their effects on gut modulation, human health and wellbeing.

Scope and approach This review focuses on a comprehensive discussion of certain food hydrocolloids in gut modulation and their potential interaction with health through gut modulation.

Key findings and conclusions Novel literature suggests that certain food hydrocolloids could substantially change the range and structure of the microbiota of the gut and the primary bioactive metabolites. Besides, hydrocolloids show important outcomes on gut microbiota because of their physicochemical and structural properties. Moreover, they may have various impacts, and the mechanisms of gut microbiota activity are quite diverse depending on their polymeric structure and source. Despite some discrepancies and divergences in their impacts on the gut microbiota-health axis, their reassuring outcomes on health are mainly associated with their prebiotic or prebiotic-like effects. In this way, it can directly/indirectly affect host health. Therefore, while investigating the possible health and safety effects of the use of hydrocolloids in the form of food additives, it may be useful to investigate the benefits and side effects on the gut.