microbiome-brain-axis
The microbiome-brain-axis concept, when applied to plants, refers to the communication network between a plant's root-associated microbial communities and its systemic signaling pathways that govern growth, stress responses, and behavior. Just as gut microbiota influence animal neurological function, soil microbiomes can modulate plant hormonal and chemical signaling in ways that affect whole-plant physiology and decision-making processes. Understanding these microbial-plant signaling interactions offers new avenues for improving crop resilience and productivity by harnessing beneficial soil communities.
PubMed · 2026-04-01
A comprehensive review finds that plant-derived compounds — from herbal formulas to dietary polyphenols — fight Alzheimer's disease largely by reshaping the gut microbiome, which transforms these plant chemicals into potent brain-protective metabolites. This gut-brain connection positions what we eat as a meaningful lever for influencing neurodegeneration.
Plant bioactives (phytochemicals, polysaccharides, and multi-herb formulations) undergo microbial biotransformation in the gut, generating metabolites more pharmacologically active than the original plant compounds
Four classes of gut-derived metabolites — short-chain fatty acids, TMAO, bile acids, and indole derivatives — were identified as key regulators of Alzheimer's hallmarks including amyloid accumulation, tau phosphorylation, and neuroinflammation
Combining plant bioactives with probiotics shows synergistic potential, and emerging strategies such as synthetic biology and engineered microbial systems are being explored to precisely modulate these metabolite signals