Exploring the Impact of Probiotics and Fermented Food on Gut Microbiota for Personalized Nutrition and Host Health

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 1457

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
2. Center of Excellence for Microbiota Innovation, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
Interests: microbiome; mycobiome; probiotic; fermented food; personalized nutrition

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Guest Editor
Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
Interests: algae; bioactive compounds; biorefinery; gastrointestinal digestion; gut health; metabolites; microbiota; plant extracts; polyphenols; polysaccharides
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is my great pleasure to share that I have been invited to serve as a Guest Editor for an upcoming Special Issue in Biology titled “Exploring the Impact of Probiotics and Fermented Food on Gut Microbiota for Personalized Nutrition and Host Health.”

Over the past decade, the gut microbiome has emerged as one of the most influential determinants of human health. Increasing evidence shows that the gut microbial ecosystem plays a central role in digestion and metabolism, immune modulation, neurological function, and the risk of chronic non-communicable diseases. Understanding how diet and microorganisms shape this complex community has become a key scientific priority across biology, medicine, and food science.

Probiotics and fermented foods have long been recognized for their health benefits, but recent advances in microbiome science, multi-omics technologies, and strain-level characterization have revolutionized our ability to understand their mechanisms of action. This growing body of knowledge supports their potential as targeted tools to modulate the gut microbiota, enhance metabolic resilience, and promote overall host health.

At the same time, the field is rapidly shifting toward personalized nutrition, recognizing that the “one-size-fits-all” dietary approach is insufficient. Individual variations in gut microbiota composition, genetics, lifestyle, and metabolic responses demand more precise dietary interventions. Integrating probiotics, functional fermented foods, and microbiome profiling is increasingly viewed as a promising strategy to design personalized dietary solutions that improve health outcomes and reduce disease risk.

In light of these developments, this Special Issue aims to gather cutting-edge research and comprehensive reviews to deepen our understanding and accelerate innovation in this important field. 

The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following:

  • Mechanistic studies on how probiotics and fermented foods modulate gut microbial composition and metabolic function;
  • basic studies linking microbiota changes to host metabolic, immune, and physiological outcomes;
  • Personalized and precision nutrition approaches guided by gut microbiome data;
  • Multi-omics technologies supporting microbiome-based dietary intervention design;
  • Interactions between diet, microbial ecology, and host health.

I look forward to receiving your contributions in this Special Issue.

Dr. Massalin Nakphaichit
Dr. Suvimol Charoensiddhi
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • probiotics (bacteria and yeast)
  • gut microbiota and mycobiome
  • personalized nutrition
  • microbiome–host interaction mechanisms
  • gut–axis communication (brain/skin/immune)

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

21 pages, 5092 KB  
Article
Postbiotic Metabolites from a 31-Strain Lactobacillus/Bifidobacterium Co-Culture Attenuate DSS Colitis with Barrier- and Circadian-Linked Transcriptomic Signatures
by Shuhei Ueda, Takumi Iwasawa, Kaho Ohki, Satoshi Takeda, Ryohma Tsuchiya, Shunsuke Sakuraba, Kazunori Kato and Tomoaki Ito
Biology 2026, 15(5), 428; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology15050428 - 5 Mar 2026
Viewed by 841
Abstract
Postbiotics produced by beneficial bacteria are emerging as safe dietary approaches to intestinal inflammation. We evaluated intestinal bacterial metabolites (IBM), a cell-free fermented soybean extract generated by co-culturing 31 Lactobacillus/Bifidobacterium-related strains, for prophylactic protection in 3% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced [...] Read more.
Postbiotics produced by beneficial bacteria are emerging as safe dietary approaches to intestinal inflammation. We evaluated intestinal bacterial metabolites (IBM), a cell-free fermented soybean extract generated by co-culturing 31 Lactobacillus/Bifidobacterium-related strains, for prophylactic protection in 3% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. Male C57BL/6NJ mice received oral IBM (0.4 or 2 mL/kg/day) or vehicle for 7 days before and during 7 days of DSS. Disease activity index (DAI), colon length, and histopathology were assessed, and endpoint serum cytokines were quantified by a multiplex bead assay. DSS-independent responses were examined in healthy mice after 7 days of IBM by rectal RNA sequencing and cecal 16S rDNA profiling, and direct epithelial effects were tested in HCT-116 and DLD-1 cells treated with 2% IBM. IBM attenuated colitis, improving DAI, preventing colon shortening, and ameliorating histopathology, with decreased IL-23 and IL-17A and increased IFN-β and GM-CSF. Rectal transcriptomics showed modulation of circadian programs, upregulation of mucosal/barrier genes, and reduced extracellular-matrix remodeling signatures. IBM increased junctional proteins and barrier-related transcripts in vitro and shifted the microbiota, increasing Lactobacillus and Roseburia while decreasing Streptococcus and Staphylococcus. These coordinated clinical, immunological, transcriptomic, epithelial, and microbiome changes support prophylactic protection by IBM against DSS colitis. Full article
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