Method of increasing the level and production of metabolized phytonutrients in a subject

1. A method of changing a phytonutrient-producer status of a subject, the method comprising:

identifying the phytonutrient-producer status of the subject by assessing a level of a preselected phytonutrient or a preselected phytonutrient precursor compound within the subject; and

administering a phytofunctional composition to the subject, the phytofunctional composition comprising:

a phytonutrient precursor compound, and

an active agent comprising a probiotic, the active agent being adapted to mediate production of a preselected phytonutrient from the phytonutrient precursor compound in the gastrointestinal tract of the subject, thereby changing the phytonutrient-producer status of the subject;

wherein the probiotic comprises a bacterial strain capable of metabolizing the phytonutrient precursor compound to increase the level of the preselected phytonutrient in the gastrointestinal tract of the subject.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the phytonutrient-producer status of the subject is performed in vitro and comprises: obtaining a sample from the gastrointestinal tract of the subject; and quantifying an amount of the preselected phytonutrient in the sample.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the sample is further defined as a fecal sample, and the method further comprises culturing the fecal sample in the presence of the preselected phytonutrient precursor compound prior to quantifying the amount of the preselected phytonutrient in the sample.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the preselected phytonutrient is further defined as a first preselected phytonutrient;

wherein identifying the phytonutrient-producer status further comprises assessing a level of at least one of a second preselected phytonutrient and a second preselected phytonutrient precursor compound within the subject, where the second preselected phytonutrient is a microbial metabolite of the second phytonutrient precursor compound;

wherein the phytofunctional composition is adapted to mediate production of the second preselected phytonutrient in the gastrointestinal tract of the subject; and

wherein the first and second preselected phytonutrients are not metabolically related.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

(i) the preselected phytonutrient is a microbial metabolite of the phytonutrient precursor compound;

(ii) mediating the production of the preselected phytonutrient is further defined as increasing a level of microbial metabolism producing the preselected phytonutrient in the gastrointestinal tract of the subject; or

(iii) both (i) and (ii).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the probiotic comprises: (i) a Bifidobacterium spp.; (ii) a Lactobacillus spp.; or (iii) both (i) and (ii).

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein changing the phytonutrient-producer status of the subject is further defined as increasing the production of the preselected phytonutrient in the gastrointestinal tract of the subject.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phytofunctional composition is administered to the subject orally.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phytofunctional composition is administered to the subject in a dosage formulation over a treatment period, where the amount and timing of each dose is selected to maintain the changed phytonutrient-producer status for a majority of the treatment period.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phytonutrient precursor compound is provided in the phytofunctional composition as a component of a plant extract.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phytonutrient precursor compound comprises: (i) quercetin; (ii) cyanidin-3-glucoside; (iii) epigallocatechin; (iv) hesperidin; (v) ellagic acid; (vi) secoisolariciresinol diglucoside; (vii) a metabolite of any of (i)-(vi); or (viii) any combination of (i)-(vii).

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phytonutrient is preselected from 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzoic acid, parargonidin-3-O-glucoside, hesperitin, urolithin A, hydroferulic acid, hydrocaffeic acid, and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the phytonutrient-producer status of the subject by assessing a level of a preselected phytonutrient or a preselected phytonutrient precursor compound within the subject comprises urinalysis, fecal analysis, blood plasma analysis, tissue analysis, saliva analysis, or combinations thereof.

14. A method of increasing phytonutrient production of a subject, the method comprising the following steps:

determining a phytonutrient-producer status and level of phytonutrients within the subject to identify phytonutrients that are at a low level via;

obtaining a microbiota sample from the subject,

culturing the microbiota sample to produce metabolic products from the phytonutrients,

monitoring the metabolic products from the phytonutrients to determine a metabolic fingerprint, and

analyzing the metabolic fingerprint to determine which of the phytonutrients are not metabolized by the subject;

selecting probiotics that metabolize the phytonutrients that are not metabolized; and

administering the phytonutrients and the selected probiotics that metabolize the phytonutrient to the subject thereby increasing the level and production of the metabolized phytonutrients in the subject.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein culturing the microbiota sample comprises fermenting the microbiota sample obtained from the subject.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein monitoring the metabolic products comprises monitoring presence and, optionally, an amount of phytonutrients produced.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein obtaining the microbiota sample is further defined as obtaining a fecal sample from the subject.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein determining the phytonutrient-producer status of the subject is further defined as comparing a biological concentration and/or excretion amount of a phytonutrient of the subject against commensurate measurements obtained from other subjects.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein:

(I) monitoring the metabolic products is further defined as monitoring conversion, partial conversion, or no conversion of a phytonutrient precursor compound over time;

(II) monitoring the metabolic products comprises analyzing one or more of the following phytonutrient precursor compounds: (i) quercetin; (ii) cyanidin-3-glucoside; (iii) epigallocatechin;

(iv) hesperidin; (v) ellagic acid; (vi) secoisolariciresinol diglucoside; and (vii) a metabolite of any of (i)-(vi); or

(III) both (I) and (II).

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the phytonutrient is preselected from 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzoic acid, parargonidin-3-O-glucoside, hesperitin, urolithin A, hydroferulic acid, hydrocaffeic acid, and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid.