In Vitro Gut Microbial Metabolism of Ferulic Acid Reveals Interindividual Variability

Brief project abstract: Interindividual variability in gut microbial metabolism of 4′-hydroxy-3′-methoxycinnamic acid (ferulic acid, FA), a major phenolic acid in cereals, may influence health outcomes and nutritional guidance. We examined FA metabolism using in vitro fecal batch incubations from 18 individuals, integrating ¹H NMR metabolomics with 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. All individuals produced a shared set of FA catabolites but differed in the timing and extent of conversion. We identified metabolic signatures, including early/late FA degraders, early/late producers of key catabolites, and profiles characterized by high 3-phenylpropanoic acid and low 3-(3′,4′-dihydroxyphenyl)propanoic acid, and vice versa.