Species-Specific Biofunctionality of Polyphenols: Insights from Ruminant and Human Nutrition

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Katrin Giller (University of Hohenheim) will join Polyphenols Applications 2026 as a speaker.

Polyphenols are increasingly recognized as modulators of nutrient utilization and health in both livestock and human nutrition, yet their biofunctionality is species-specific. This talk synthesizes current evidence on the fate and effects of dietary polyphenols in ruminants and humans, using tannins as model compounds.

In ruminants, tannins can reduce ruminal protein degradation, lower urinary nitrogen excretion, and partially shift nitrogen towards fecal output, thereby affecting both nutrient efficiency and environmental impact. Tannins may also decrease methane formation and alter ruminal biohydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acids, thereby improving the transfer efficiency of omega-3 fatty acids into milk and meat. However, responses to dietary tannin intake strongly depend on eg, tannin structure, dose, and ruminant species.

Beyond effects on nutrient flows, polyphenols are emerging as modulators of oxidative stress and immune function in ruminants, properties that are also central in human nutrition. This is reflected in the growing market for polyphenol-based supplements, claiming health-promoting effects including beneficial cardiometabolic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects.

By highlighting species‑specific digestive and metabolic traits and the resulting bioactive effects of dietary tannins, this talk aims to clarify which findings on polyphenols can be meaningfully translated between ruminants and humans, and where such extrapolations may not be justified.

For more information about her talk: 
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