Moderate wine consumption and inflammatory bowel diseases. Impact in the gut and oral microbiome

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of moderate red wine consumption on the clinical status and symptomatology of patients with Ulcerative Colitis (UC), including the study of the oral and intestinal microbiome. A case control intervention study in UC patients was designed. Intervention patients (n = 5) consumed red wine (250 mL/day) for four weeks whereas control patients (n = 5) did not. Moderate wine consumption significantly (p < 0.05) improved the parameters related to serum iron, and particularly, faecal calprotectin, considered one of the most used parameters in the diagnosis and remission of IBD. Similarly, the intervention with wine alleviated intestinal symptoms evaluated by the IBDQ-32 questionnaire and, consequently, increased the patient's subjective quality of life appreciation. The metagenomic analysis of the microbial populations present in saliva and faeces indicated a lower bacterial diversity in UC patients compared to healthy individuals. Moderate consumption of red wine seemed to balance the proportions of microbial communities and could promote a microbial profile more similar to that observed in healthy individuals. Finally, analysis of faecal metabolites (i.e., phenolic acids and SCFAs) indicated a non-significant increase (p > 0.05) for the UC patients that consumed wine.