Food substances alter gut resistome: Mechanisms, health impacts, and food components

Abstract

Antibiotics are effective in treating bacterial infections, but their widespread use has spurred antibiotic resistance, which is linked closely with human disease. While dietary components are known to influence the gut microbiome, specific effects on the gut resistome—the collection of antibiotic-resistant genes in the gut—remain underexplored. This review outlines the mechanisms of antibiotic action and the development of resistance, emphasizing the connection between the gut resistome and human diseases such as metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, and nervous system disorders. It also discusses the effects of diet habits and dietary components, including bioactive macronutrients, phytochemicals, and probiotics, on the composition of the gut resistome by enhancing antibiotic efficacy and potentially reducing resistance. This review highlights the emerging trend of increasing interest in functional foods aimed at targeting the gut resistome and a growing focus on bioactive plant compounds with the potential to modulate antibiotic resistance.