Abstract:Flavonoids are a class of natural bioactive substances that are widely present in vegetables and fruits that have a promoting effect on human health. Gut microbiota has been shown to play an important regulatory role in maintaining human health. Disturbance of gut microbiota increases the risk of many chronic diseases, such like inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, and colorectal cancer. This article systematically reviews the updated research progress of the interaction between dietary flavonoids and gut microbiota. On the one hand, dietary flavonoids can exert their biological activities by increasing the diversity of gut microbiota, promoting the growth of probiotics, inhibiting the reproduction of pathogenic bacteria and promoting the production of some beneficial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids. On the other hand, the gut microbiota greatly influences the biotransformation and metabolic patterns of the dietary flavonoids. By producing the small molecule bioactive metabolites mediated by gut microbiota and improving the bioavailability, the gut microbiota partially determines the biological activity of dietary flavonoids in the body.