The Diet–Microbiota–Polyamine Axis in Intestinal Aging: Microbial Pathways, Functional Foods, and Physiological Implications

Feb 27, 2026Nutrients

How Diet and Gut Microbes Affect Polyamine Levels and Intestinal Aging: Microbial Processes, Functional Foods, and Body Impact

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Abstract

Intestinal aging is associated with a decline in epithelial renewal capacity and microbial polyamine production.

Aging leads to reduced barrier function, immune balance, and metabolic regulation in the intestine.
Polyamines, such as putrescine, spermidine, and spermine, support intestinal health through cell growth and repair.
Both host-derived and microbiota-mediated production of polyamines decreases with age, potentially contributing to intestinal dysfunction.
Dietary components and functional foods may influence gut microbial ecology and polyamine biosynthesis, impacting intestinal health.
Certain lactic acid bacteria are major contributors to polyamine metabolism in the gut.
Strategies like fermented foods, prebiotics, and probiotics may enhance polyamine availability and help restore gut homeostasis.

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Intestinal aging is characterized by a gradual decline in epithelial renewal capacity, barrier function, immune balance, and metabolic regulation, often accompanied by shifts in gut microbial composition. Polyamines, including putrescine, spermidine, and spermine, are vital microbial-host metabolites that support intestinal cell growth, autophagy, immune modulation, and mucosal repair. With advancing age, both host-derived and microbiota-mediated polyamine production declines, contributing to intestinal dysfunction and heightened vulnerability to inflammation and age-related disorders. This review explores the diet-microbiota-polyamine axis as a key biological framework influencing intestinal aging. It aims to integrate evidence on how dietary components and functional foods shape gut microbial ecology and, in turn, regulate microbial polyamine biosynthetic pathways that impact intestinal health. The review highlights major microbial contributors to polyamine metabolism, particularly lactic acid bacteria, and outlines mechanistic pathways linking polyamines to epithelial regeneration, inflammatory control, and gut barrier maintenance. It further discusses how age-associated dysbiosis disrupts these interactions and evaluates nutritional and microbial-based strategies such as fermented foods, prebiotics, and probiotics that may enhance polyamine availability and restore gut homeostasis. From the standpoint of food microbiology and human physiology, this synthesis underscores the translational potential of targeting microbial polyamine production through diet-based interventions. This article presents a narrative review synthesizing experimental, animal, and emerging human evidence on microbial and dietary polyamines in intestinal aging. In conclusion, modulating the diet-microbiota-polyamine axis represents a promising strategy to promote healthy intestinal aging, meriting deeper mechanistic exploration and validation through clinical studies.

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The Diet–Microbiota–Polyamine Axis in Intestinal Aging: Microbial Pathways, Functional Foods, and Physiological Implications

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