REVIEW article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutritional Immunology
This article is part of the Research TopicFood-derived Plant Polysaccharides: Composition, Bioavailability and Health-promoting PropertiesView all articles
The influence of a plant-based diet on the composition and functions of the human gut microbiota: a review
Provisionally accepted
Roberto Ordonez-Araque1*
Erika Egas-Montenegro2Jennifer Echeverria-Chilla2Marcela García-Ulloa2Cristina Aizaga-Benalcázar2- 1Grupo de Investigación en Alimentos y Agroindustria (GIA2), Escuela de Gastronomía, University of the Americas, Quito, Ecuador
- 2Universidad Iberoamericana del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
The human gut microbiota represents a highly diverse ecosystem, with its composition and functions influenced by dietary, biological, and environmental factors. This research aimed to analyze how diet significantly impacts microbial dynamics, particularly through the consumption of dietary fiber, micronutrients, and bioactive compounds. A comprehensive review of major scientific databases was conducted to identify and evaluate studies that explored the relationship between diet and gut microbiota, as well as the primary microbial genera and species linked to these dietary patterns. The primary bacterial phyla present in the human gut include Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Verrucomicrobiota. Among these phyla, notable genera include Bacteroides, Prevotella, Faecalibacterium, Bifidobacterium, and Akkermansia. These taxa are integral to several essential processes, such as the degradation of complex polysaccharides, the synthesis of short-chain fatty acids, the modulation of immune responses, and the preservation of the intestinal barrier. From a nutritional perspective, current evidence indicates that a plant-based diet may enhance microbial diversity, augment the production of beneficial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids, and facilitate bacterial profiles that are associated with anti-inflammatory properties, metabolic regulation, and the maintenance of epithelial integrity. In conclusion, dietary patterns that are particularly rich in fiber, micronutrients, and bioactive compounds derived from plant sources have a profound impact on the composition and functions of the gut microbiota. A thorough understanding of these interactions is crucial for developing nutritional strategies that enhance both gut health and overall well-being.
Keywords: dietary fiber4, gut microbiota2, metabolicfunctions5, microbial composition3, plant-based diet1
Received: 23 Dec 2025; Accepted: 26 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Ordonez-Araque, Egas-Montenegro, Echeverria-Chilla, García-Ulloa and Aizaga-Benalcázar. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Roberto Ordonez-Araque
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.