细胞外囊泡（EVs）是纳米级脂质双层包裹的颗粒，由几乎所有类型的细胞，包括细菌、哺乳动物和植物分泌，被认为是细胞间通讯的媒介体。细菌外囊泡（BEVs）是直径多样的纳米颗粒，范围从20到400 nm不等。BEVs由可溶性微生物代谢物组成，包括核酸、蛋白质、脂多糖和短链脂肪酸（SCFAs）。此外，EVs可能含有旨在保护细菌免受噬菌体感染、形成和维持细菌群落以及调节宿主免疫系统的群体感应肽。BEVs有潜在的治疗可能，可用于疫苗开发、癌症免疫疗法以及药物传递。植物来源的EVs（PEVs），如来自草药的EVs，可被肠道微生物吸收，影响肠道微生物群的组成和稳态。本综述强调了BEVs和PEVs在细菌和植物生理中的作用，并讨论了肠道细菌、宿主代谢和草药之间的相互作用。总之，EVs在肠道微生物群中起着重要的通讯介质作用，在传递草药方面具有潜在的治疗价值。 版权所有 © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. 保留所有权利。

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanosized lipid bilayer-delimited particles secreted from almost all types of cells including bacteria, mammals and plants, and are presumed to be mediators of intercellular communication. Bacterial extracellular vesicles (BEVs) are nanoparticles with diverse diameters, ranging from 20 to 400 nm. BEVs are composed of soluble microbial metabolites, including nucleic acid, proteins, lipoglycans, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). In addition, EVs may contain quorum sensing peptides that are endowed with the ability to protect bacteria against bacteriophages, form and maintain bacterial communities, and modulate the host immune system. BEVs are potentially promising therapeutic modalities for use in vaccine development, cancer immunotherapy regimens, and drug delivery cargos. Plant-derived EVs (PEVs), such as EVs derived from herbal medicines, can be absorbed by the gut microbiota and influence the composition and homeostasis of gut microbiota. This review highlights the roles of BEVs and PEVs in bacterial and plant physiology and discusses crosstalk among gut bacteria, host metabolism and herbal medicine. In summary, EVs represent crucial communication messengers in the gut microbiota, with potential therapeutic value in the delivery of herbal medicines.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.