The key role of gut microbiota and the enteroendocrine system in A. M. Ugolev’s theory of adequate nutrition
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33910/2687-1270-2026-7-2-195-205Keywords:
A. M. Ugolev, adequate nutrition, trophology, gut microbiota, membrane digestion, appetite, intestinal hormones, peptidesAbstract
Recent advancement of biological sciences has been empowered by numerous data supporting an important role played by gut microbiota in health and disease. Nutritional science has particularly benefited from the surge of this knowledge through the development of approaches that directly influence the function and composition of gut microbiota. This paper recalls that the importance of the functional links between gut microbiota and nutrition was anticipated by earlier works of Alexander M. Ugolev’s laboratory in the 1960s–1980s. His discovery of membrane digestion and studies implicating intestinal microorganisms in digestive process as well as analysis of hormonal effects of the gut in feeding behavior, among other experimental data, helped Ugolev to conceptualize the nutritional connections between cells and organisms as the universal trophic elements underlying his theory of adequate nutrition. We show here that the core idea of Ugolev’s theory includes the maintenance of three main flows of nutrients originating from: 1) ingested food; 2) gut microbiota and 3) enteroendocrine system. Developed about 40 years ago, the theory is still relevant to modern nutritional science. Therefore, revision of Ugolev’s work deserves attention not only from historical perspective but also due to the current appreciation of his theory, which is instrumental in integrating the knowledge from nutritional disciplines and developing practical applications.
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