The Interaction Between Gut Microbiota and Host Oxidative Stress

A special issue of Antioxidants (ISSN 2076-3921).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2026 | Viewed by 11891

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Interests: nutrition and metabolism (amino acids); oxidative stress and redox biology; gut microbiome
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Our previous edition “Role of Antioxidants Intake on Gut Microbiome” garnered an exceptional response, with a substantial number of high-quality submissions, resulting in a successful compilation of cutting-edge research. Building on this success, I am delighted to announce our a new Special Issue on a similar topic, titled “The Interaction Between Gut Microbiota and Host Oxidative Stress”.

This new special issue in Antioxidants focuses on the role of host oxidative stress in gut microbiota-guided diseases or gut microbial dysbiosis involved in oxidative injury. Several papers in the previous edition identified an antioxidant characteristic of probiotics; thus, this new edition further emphasizes the improvement in gut microbiota compositions by diet or probiotics as promising therapeutic agents, targeting host antioxidant systems to alleviate diseases. We invite contributions that explore the interaction between gut microbiota and host oxidative stress, particularly in designing innovative therapies for diseases.

Prof. Dr. Jie Yin
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • oxidative stress
  • antioxidants
  • gut microbiome
  • immunity

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 6844 KB  
Article
A Hydrolyzed Soybean Protein Enhances Oxidative Stress Resistance in C. elegans and Modulates Gut–Immune Axis in BALB/c Mice
by Jun Liu, Yansheng Zhao, Fei Leng, Xiang Xiao, Weibo Jiang and Shuntang Guo
Antioxidants 2025, 14(6), 689; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14060689 - 5 Jun 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1868
Abstract
Soy protein isolate (SPI) is a high-purity protein from defatted soybeans, providing emulsifying and gelling functions for plant-based foods and supplements. Hydrolysis can facilitate the production of bioactive small-molecule proteins or peptides with potential functional applications. In this study, 20% hydrolyzed soy protein [...] Read more.
Soy protein isolate (SPI) is a high-purity protein from defatted soybeans, providing emulsifying and gelling functions for plant-based foods and supplements. Hydrolysis can facilitate the production of bioactive small-molecule proteins or peptides with potential functional applications. In this study, 20% hydrolyzed soy protein (20% HSP) was prepared from SPI, and the effects of 20% HSP and SPI on alleviating oxidative stress in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) and regulating immune–gut microbiota in cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunocompromised BALB/c mice were investigated. In C. elegans, both SPI and 20% HSP (300 μg/mL) enhanced locomotive activities, including body bending and head thrashing, and improved oxidative stress resistance under high glucose conditions. This improvement was mediated by increased antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px), while malondialdehyde (MDA) content was reduced by 60.15% and 82.28%, respectively. Both of them can also significantly extend the lifespan of normal C. elegans and paraquat-induced oxidative stress models by inhibiting lipofuscin accumulation. This effect was mediated through upregulation of daf-16 and suppression of daf-2 and akt-1 expression. In immunocompromised mice, 20% HSP alleviated CTX-induced immune dysfunction by increasing peripheral white blood cells and lymphocytes, attenuating thymic atrophy, and reducing hepatic oxidative stress via MDA inhibition. Gut microbiota analysis revealed that 20% HSP restored microbial balance by suppressing Escherichia-Shigella and enriching beneficial genera, like Psychrobacter. These findings highlight 20% HSP and SPI’s conserved anti-aging mechanisms via daf-16 activation in C. elegans and immune–gut modulation in mice, positioning them as plant-derived nutraceuticals targeting oxidative stress and immune dysregulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Interaction Between Gut Microbiota and Host Oxidative Stress)
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30 pages, 7021 KB  
Article
Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Dendrobium officinale Extract on High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity in Rats: Involvement of Gut Microbiota, Liver Transcriptomics, and NF-κB/IκB Pathway
by Runze Zhou, Yixue Wang, Shiyun Chen, Fanjia Cheng, Yuhang Yi, Chenghao Lv and Si Qin
Antioxidants 2025, 14(4), 432; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14040432 - 3 Apr 2025
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3964
Abstract
The growing prevalence of obesity is being increasingly acknowledged as a major public health issue. This mainly stems from the excessive intake of dietary fats. Dendrobium officinale (DO), recognized as an herb with dual roles of food and medicine, is renowned for its [...] Read more.
The growing prevalence of obesity is being increasingly acknowledged as a major public health issue. This mainly stems from the excessive intake of dietary fats. Dendrobium officinale (DO), recognized as an herb with dual roles of food and medicine, is renowned for its diverse health-promoting effects. Nevertheless, the specifics of its antiobesity and anti-inflammatory properties and the underlying mechanisms are still obscure. The present study shows that treatment with Dendrobium officinale extract (DOE) alleviates obesity, liver steatosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress in rats that are obese due to a high-fat diet (HFD). Firstly, with respect to HFD obese rats, higher doses of DOE significantly reduced TG, TC, LDL-C, blood glucose, and liver AST and ALT, along with lipid droplets. Meanwhile, DOE supplementation significantly reduced oxidative stress induced by ROS and MDA and increased the levels of GSH-Px and SOD in liver tissues. Furthermore, integrated analysis of transcriptomic and microbiomic data revealed that DOE modulated inflammatory responses through the NF-κB/IκB pathway. This regulatory mechanism was evidenced by corresponding changes in the protein expression levels of both NF-κB and IκB. Additionally, DOE was found to modulate gut microbiota composition in obese rats, specifically reducing the relative abundance of Bilophila while increasing beneficial bacterial populations, particularly the genera Akkermansia and Roseburia. These findings suggest that DOE may help retain the homeostasis of the gut microbiota and improve metabolic health by regulating inflammation in the liver and intestine, thereby providing protection against obesity and related metabolic syndromes. Our study demonstrates that DOE, as a natural botanical extract, can effectively facilitate the prevention or treatment of metabolic syndrome through precision dietary interventions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Interaction Between Gut Microbiota and Host Oxidative Stress)
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Review

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41 pages, 1971 KB  
Review
Probiotic Modulation of Gut Microbiota: Antioxidant Mechanisms and Clinical Benefits in Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Management
by Hassan Barakat and Hani A. Alfheeaid
Antioxidants 2026, 15(6), 727; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox15060727 (registering DOI) - 8 Jun 2026
Abstract
Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) represent intertwined global epidemics driven by gut dysbiosis, chronic inflammation, and impaired SCFA production, identifying the microbiome as a therapeutic target. This review synthesizes mechanistic insights and clinical evidence on the role of probiotics as microbiome [...] Read more.
Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) represent intertwined global epidemics driven by gut dysbiosis, chronic inflammation, and impaired SCFA production, identifying the microbiome as a therapeutic target. This review synthesizes mechanistic insights and clinical evidence on the role of probiotics as microbiome modulators in the management of metabolic disease. A comprehensive literature search across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar up to May 2026 identified ~230 records using keywords such as probiotics, SCFAs, obesity, and T2DM; a narrative synthesis integrated preclinical, RCT, and meta-analytic data without formal pooling due to heterogeneity. Probiotics restore eubiosis via strain-specific mechanisms, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG enhances tight junctions (ZO-1), Bifidobacterium breve BBr60 boosts butyrate cross-feeding, and pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila remodels bile acids (FXR/FGF19), activating G-Protein Coupled Receptor 41 (GPR41)/43-GLP-1 signaling, Treg expansion, and NF-κB suppression. Beyond immunometabolic effects, probiotics mitigate obesity- and T2DM-related oxidative stress by upregulating endogenous antioxidant enzymes (e.g., SOD, catalase, GPx), modulating Nrf2/Keap1 signaling, and reducing lipid peroxidation and other oxidative stress markers in experimental and clinical settings. Meta-analyses of RCTs reveal modest benefits: BMI reductions (~0.3 kg m−2), waist circumference (WC) reductions (1–2 cm), HbA1c reductions (0.3–0.4%), and improvements in homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), especially with multi-strain (>109 CFU day−1, ≥12 weeks) synbiotics. Innovative strategies—synbiotics, postbiotics, AI-tailored consortia, and fermented dairy—address engraftment and response variability. Current guidelines recommend 109–1011 CFU day−1 using multi-strain formulations for 12–24 weeks alongside lifestyle measures, with regimen selection tailored to the dysbiosis phenotype (e.g., NAFLD). Future longitudinal RCTs integrating multi-omics endpoints with AI-driven strain selection should refine—and ultimately individualize—precision probiotic strategies for metabolic therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Interaction Between Gut Microbiota and Host Oxidative Stress)
38 pages, 2354 KB  
Review
Gut Microbiota at the Crossroad of Hepatic Oxidative Stress and MASLD
by Fabrizio Termite, Sebastiano Archilei, Francesca D’Ambrosio, Lucrezia Petrucci, Nicholas Viceconti, Roberta Iaccarino, Antonio Liguori, Antonio Gasbarrini and Luca Miele
Antioxidants 2025, 14(1), 56; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14010056 - 6 Jan 2025
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 4975
Abstract
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a prevalent chronic liver condition marked by excessive lipid accumulation in hepatic tissue. This disorder can lead to a range of pathological outcomes, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and cirrhosis. Despite extensive research, the molecular mechanisms [...] Read more.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a prevalent chronic liver condition marked by excessive lipid accumulation in hepatic tissue. This disorder can lead to a range of pathological outcomes, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and cirrhosis. Despite extensive research, the molecular mechanisms driving MASLD initiation and progression remain incompletely understood. Oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation are pivotal in the “multiple parallel hit model”, contributing to hepatic cell death and tissue damage. Gut microbiota plays a substantial role in modulating hepatic oxidative stress through multiple pathways: impairing the intestinal barrier, which results in bacterial translocation and chronic hepatic inflammation; modifying bile acid structure, which impacts signaling cascades involved in lipidic metabolism; influencing hepatocytes’ ferroptosis, a form of programmed cell death; regulating trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) metabolism; and activating platelet function, both recently identified as pathogenetic factors in MASH progression. Moreover, various exogenous factors impact gut microbiota and its involvement in MASLD-related oxidative stress, such as air pollution, physical activity, cigarette smoke, alcohol, and dietary patterns. This manuscript aims to provide a state-of-the-art overview focused on the intricate interplay between gut microbiota, lipid peroxidation, and MASLD pathogenesis, offering insights into potential strategies to prevent disease progression and its associated complications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Interaction Between Gut Microbiota and Host Oxidative Stress)
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