## 3 Results
### Effects of Phytochemicals on the Intestinal Microbiome, Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome
Considering that the production of TMAO from dietary choline is based on metabolism by the intestinal microbiota, alterations in plasma and urine TMAO are dependent on the modifications of gut microbiota. The study concluded that Fruitflow consumption can influence the synthesis of gut microbiota. This study observed an important reduction in the relative abundance of Bacteroides uniformis, Bacteroides ovatus, Bacteroides acidifaciens, and the associated species Parabacteroides goldsteini. Moreover, Bacteroides sp. was shown to decrease TMAO to TMA. Thus, it is justifiable to assume that a decrease in Bacteroidetes via Fruitflow is a mechanism that clarifies the observed impact on TMAO. In this study, a reduction in _Hungatella hathewayi_ and _Rumonococcus faecalis_ within the Fruiflow group was also observed. _Hungatella hathewayi_ is known to produce TMA. Finally, an increase in _Clostridium carnis_ was observed. Furthermore, with Fruitflow, there was a decrease in plasma LPS but not in the placebo group. LPS is a pro-inflammatory factor found in the external membranes of Gram-negative bacteria, and is an important inflammatory factor associated with diseases such as obesity. LPS concentrations are higher in the gut lumen, where gut bacteria live, and lower in plasma, because the intestinal epithelial layer creates an effective barrier against LPS invasion. Thus, the reduction in plasma LPS because of Fruiflow consumption, indicates an improvement in intestinal barrier function [42]. In another double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled pilot study, 28 obese men with MetS were studied over 35 days. Subjects were randomly separated into two groups and were asked to consume 1 g of trans-resveratrol orally twice a day or placebo and an isocaloric, western-style diet. No other foods or drinks were admitted. In this study, they observed the effects of trans-resveratrol on IR, in obese men with MetS. Trans-resveratrol is a natural product found in grapes, berries, and peanuts. This study observed an increase in insulin sensitivity and a reduction in glucose concentrations of 120 min in the oral glucose tolerance test. An enhancement of _A. municiophila_ was also observed to be inversely associated with obesity and low- grade inflammation [43]. In another randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, single-center study, middle-aged men between 30 and 60 years old with MetS were divided into either resveratrol or placebo treatment for four months. They received tablets containing placebo, low-dose resveratrol (75 mg twice daily) or high-dose resveratrol (500 mg twice a day). This study presented an intensive metabolomic profile of blood, adipose tissue, skeletal muscle tissue, and urine. This approach allowed for a more detailed investigation of resveratrol's impact on specific intracellular pathways than what is possible by measurements limited to blood. Modifications were noticed in several metabolites in urine derived from essential amino acids, which cannot be produced by the body; however, gut microflora may play a role in their production and degradation. Fermentation of these amino acids by colonic bacteria was found to produce phenols and indoles, which are excreted in the urine. Modifications in urinary amino acids and derivatives observed in this study indicate a resveratrol-induced arrangement of gut microbiota in men with MetS [44]. Another double-blind, crossover, randomized, controlled clinical trial studied the effects of olive oils with different phenolic contents, on urinary tyrosol (T) and hydroxy-ytrosol (HT) levels and LDL oxidation. The participants were 30 healthy non-smokingvolunteers. The clinical trial was organized with three types of olive oils: refined, common, and virgin. During olive oil treatment periods, participants received a raw daily dose of 25 mL of olive oil divided over three meals. Other cooking fats were substituted by refined olive oil throughout the study. After consumption of virgin olive oil, a decrease in LDL oxidation was noticed in vivo.