Dandelion ( <i>Taraxacum officinale</i> ) as a Prebiotic Source: Implications for Gut Microbiota, Metabolic Health, and Functional Food Development

Abstract Some of the herbs most frequently found in the landscape, including dandelions, have received much attention lately, and increasingly more of that concern has been directed towards their food sources as serious contenders for digestive health. This review encompasses phytochemical and food composition data and new prebiotic agents from dandelions and their effect on gut microbiota and metabolic health. The in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that the selective prebiotic effect in favor of the gut microbiota profile by the stimulation of growth of presumed probiotic species (including Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus) with dandelion extracts. These polysaccharides are fermented and create short-chain fatty acids acetate, propionate and butyrate, which lowers pH to promote intestinal barrier function and systemic metabolic pathways. Promising implications for weight control and obesity also exist with gut microbiota modulation acting as a central mechanistic mediator. Dandelion is regarded as safe, but the exact concentration and appropriate concentration of specific purified prebiotic molecules need more critical examination, and the potential side effects of prebiotic and they need to be properly identified in experimental studies.