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Article

From Phenolic Profile to Gut Function: Comparative Effects of Region-Specific Shilajit on Selected Culturable Intestinal Microbial Groups and β-Glucuronidase Activity—A Preliminary Study

by
Elham Kamgar
1,
Małgorzata Gumienna
2,
Barbara Górna-Szweda
2,
Miroslava Kačániová
3,4,
Przemysław Łukasz Kowalczewski
5,* and
Joanna Zembrzuska
1,*
1
Department of General and Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry and Technical Electrochemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Poznan University of Technology, 61-131 Poznań, Poland
2
Department of Food Technology of Plant Origin, Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 60-624 Poznań, Poland
3
School of Medical and Health Sciences, VIZJA University, 01-043 Warsaw, Poland
4
Institute of Horticulture, Faculty of Landscape Engineering, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, 949 76 Nitra, Slovakia
5
Faculty of Health Sciences, Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University, 30-705 Kraków, Poland
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Molecules 2026, 31(12), 2172; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31122172
Submission received: 18 April 2026 / Revised: 9 June 2026 / Accepted: 19 June 2026 / Published: 21 June 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Analyses and Applications of Phenolic Compounds in Food—3rd Edition)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Shilajit is a complex natural phytomineral substance whose composition and biological activity may vary depending on geographical origin. This study compared three commercially available Shilajit samples from Russia (S1), Nepal (S2), and Iran (S3) in terms of phenolic acid profile, antimicrobial activity, and their effects on selected intestinal microorganisms and β-glucuronidase activity after simulated gastrointestinal digestion. The samples differed markedly in their phenolic composition, with S3 showing the highest total content of the quantified phenolic acids. All samples exhibited antimicrobial activity, although their intensity depended on the microorganism tested. The in vitro digestion model revealed clear sample-dependent effects: S2 showed the lowest net β-glucuronidase activity and the most beneficial modulation of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, whereas S1 exerted the strongest suppressive effect on Escherichia coli. In contrast, S3, despite the richest phenolic profile, showed the highest β-glucuronidase activity. These findings indicate that the biological activity of Shilajit depends not only on the quantified phenolic acids but also on the broader, region-specific chemical matrix of the material.
Keywords: phenolic acids; simulated gastrointestinal digestion; intestinal fermentation; microbial modulation phenolic acids; simulated gastrointestinal digestion; intestinal fermentation; microbial modulation

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Kamgar, E.; Gumienna, M.; Górna-Szweda, B.; Kačániová, M.; Kowalczewski, P.Ł.; Zembrzuska, J. From Phenolic Profile to Gut Function: Comparative Effects of Region-Specific Shilajit on Selected Culturable Intestinal Microbial Groups and β-Glucuronidase Activity—A Preliminary Study. Molecules 2026, 31, 2172. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31122172

AMA Style

Kamgar E, Gumienna M, Górna-Szweda B, Kačániová M, Kowalczewski PŁ, Zembrzuska J. From Phenolic Profile to Gut Function: Comparative Effects of Region-Specific Shilajit on Selected Culturable Intestinal Microbial Groups and β-Glucuronidase Activity—A Preliminary Study. Molecules. 2026; 31(12):2172. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31122172

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kamgar, Elham, Małgorzata Gumienna, Barbara Górna-Szweda, Miroslava Kačániová, Przemysław Łukasz Kowalczewski, and Joanna Zembrzuska. 2026. "From Phenolic Profile to Gut Function: Comparative Effects of Region-Specific Shilajit on Selected Culturable Intestinal Microbial Groups and β-Glucuronidase Activity—A Preliminary Study" Molecules 31, no. 12: 2172. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31122172

APA Style

Kamgar, E., Gumienna, M., Górna-Szweda, B., Kačániová, M., Kowalczewski, P. Ł., & Zembrzuska, J. (2026). From Phenolic Profile to Gut Function: Comparative Effects of Region-Specific Shilajit on Selected Culturable Intestinal Microbial Groups and β-Glucuronidase Activity—A Preliminary Study. Molecules, 31(12), 2172. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31122172

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