Gut microbiota: A magical multifunctional target regulated by medicine food homology species.

[Display omitted] • Gut microbiota's coevolution with hosts significantly impacts the regulation of human diseases. • Medicine food homology species are rich in bio-active substances, which have good medical and nutritional value. • Intaking medicine food homology species will affect the composition of gut microbiota and provide metabolites that affect host physiology. • The relationship between medicine food homology species–gut microbiota–individual health has been confirmed, but the underlying mechanisms remain far from clear. The relationship between gut microbiota and human health has gradually been recognized. Increasing studies show that the disorder of gut microbiota is related to the occurrence and development of many diseases. Metabolites produced by the gut microbiota are responsible for their extensive regulatory roles. In addition, naturally derived medicine food homology species with low toxicity and high efficiency have been clearly defined owing to their outstanding physiological and pharmacological properties in disease prevention and treatment. Based on supporting evidence, the current review summarizes the representative work of medicine food homology species targeting the gut microbiota to regulate host pathophysiology and discusses the challenges and prospects in this field. It aims to facilitate the understanding of the relationship among medicine food homology species, gut microbiota, and human health and further stimulate the advancement of more relevant research. As this review reveals, from the initial practical application to more mechanism studies, the relationship among medicine food homology species, gut microbiota, and human health has evolved into an irrefutable interaction. On the one hand, through affecting the population structure, metabolism, and function of gut microbiota, medicine food homology species maintain the homeostasis of the intestinal microenvironment and human health by affecting the population structure, metabolism, and function of gut microbiota. On the other hand, the gut microbiota is also involved in the bioconversion of the active ingredients from medicine food homology species and thus influences their physiological and pharmacological properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]