| Summary: | Fruits such as apples are a dietary source of polyphenols and have health benefits. We studied the benefits of apple polyphenols in reducing intestinal infections. We explored the potential roles of apple polyphenols in combating <i>Clostridioides difficile</i>-induced intestinal infections by modulating the intestinal microbiota and metabolism in our study. Mice fed with apple polyphenols exhibited higher survival rates and improved diarrhea symptoms in a <i>C. difficile</i> infection mouse model given once-daily apple polyphenol extract (200 or 400 mg/kg bw) or phosphate-buffered saline. Feeding polyphenols enhanced anti-inflammatory effects and colon barrier integrity. In addition, apple polyphenols mitigated intestinal microbiota disorders in <i>C. difficile</i> infection, modulating the intestinal microbiota and increasing the abundance of beneficial microbiota. Apple polyphenols also improved fecal metabolic alterations in <i>C. difficile</i>-infected mice and modulated the expression of pathways related to intestinal inflammation. Our results suggest that apple polyphenol extract is a potential prebiotic agent that affects the intestinal microbiota and metabolism, thereby positively influencing intestinal infections.
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