Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.7
5.1
Journals
Foods
Special Issues
Targeting Gut Microbiome with Functional Foods: Novel Interventions for Glucose...
foods-logo
Submit to Foods Review for Foods Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Targeting Gut Microbiome with Functional Foods: Novel Interventions for Glucose and Lipid Metabolism Disorders

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2026) | Viewed by 2068

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zirui Huang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Interests: functional foods; medicinal and edible fungi; gut microbiota-host interactions; molecular mechanisms; glucose metabolism; caenorhabditis elegans
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Rui-Bo Jia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, 1 Haida Drive, Mazhang District, Zhanjiang, China
Interests: marine bioactives; food biotechnology; functional polysaccharides; gut microbiota; anti-diabetes
Prof. Dr. Bin Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
Interests: food biotechnology; molecular nutrition; functional food development; edible and medicinal fungi; marine bioactive resources; gut microbiota and metabolism

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

The gut microbiome plays a critical role in the regulation of host glucose and lipid metabolism, and its dysregulation is closely associated with the development of various metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, obesity, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. This Special Issue, "Targeting Gut Microbiome with Functional Foods: Novel Interventions for Glucose and Lipid Metabolism Disorders", aims to gather high-quality research and reviews on the use of microbiome-modulating functional foods to prevent and ameliorate metabolism-related pathologies. We welcome contributions that explore the efficacy and mechanisms of probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, and bioactive compounds (e.g., polyphenols, dietary fibers, peptides, and polysaccharides) in reshaping gut microbial communities and improving metabolic outcomes. Studies focusing on molecular pathways linking gut microbiota to glucose homeostasis, lipid profiling, insulin sensitivity, and energy balance are especially encouraged. Multi-omics approaches and mechanistic validations that provide deeper insights into diet–microbiota–metabolism interactions will be given high priority.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Zirui Huang
Dr. Rui-Bo Jia
Prof. Dr. Bin Liu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • gut microbiome
  • glucose metabolism
  • lipid metabolism
  • type 2 diabetes
  • obesity
  • hyperglycemia
  • hyperlipidemia
  • probiotics
  • prebiotics
  • functional foods

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

18 pages, 6750 KB  
Article
Impact of Different Extraction Methods on the Physicochemical Characteristics and Bioactivity of Polysaccharides from Baobab (Adansonia suarezensis) Fruit Pulp
by Huimin Cui, Shang Gao, Jiahui Shi, Yinghui Pan, Pengzhi Hong, Jiannong Lu and Chunxia Zhou
Foods 2026, 15(2), 273; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15020273 - 12 Jan 2026
Viewed by 690
Abstract
Polysaccharides from baobab (Adansonia suarezensis) fruit pulp (ASPs) hold significant potential for pharmaceutical and functional food applications due to their bioactivities. This study systematically evaluated the effects of six extraction methods—hot water (ASP-HW), acid (ASP-AC), alkaline (ASP-AL), and their ultrasound-assisted counterparts [...] Read more.
Polysaccharides from baobab (Adansonia suarezensis) fruit pulp (ASPs) hold significant potential for pharmaceutical and functional food applications due to their bioactivities. This study systematically evaluated the effects of six extraction methods—hot water (ASP-HW), acid (ASP-AC), alkaline (ASP-AL), and their ultrasound-assisted counterparts (ASP-HWU, ASP-ACU, ASP-ALU)—on the yield, chemical composition, structural properties, and biological activities of ASPs. The results demonstrated that the extraction solvent critically influenced key properties: alkaline-based methods (ASP-AL, ASP-ALU) achieved the highest yields (up to 62.47%) and yielded polysaccharides with lower molecular weights (approximately 19,600–19,813 Da) and smaller particle sizes (around 140–147 nm). All ASPs were identified as acidic pectic polysaccharides, composed of galacturonic acid, xylose, galactose, and arabinose. Notably, ASP-AC, ASP-ACU, ASP-AL, and ASP-ALU exhibited a triple-helix conformation, which was absent in hot water-extracted polysaccharides. Bioactivity assessments revealed that ASP-AL and ASP-ALU possessed superior antioxidant capacities, demonstrating the lowest IC50 values for DPPH radical scavenging (113.67–116.67 μg/mL) and ABTS radical scavenging (79.33–79.67 μg/mL), as well as potent α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC50: 0.146–0.206 mg/mL), outperforming other extracts and the positive control acarbose. Correlation analysis indicated that enhanced bioactivity was associated with lower molecular weight and reduced uronic acid content. These findings underscore that alkaline extraction is an efficient strategy for obtaining highly bioactive polysaccharides from Adansonia suarezensis fruit pulp, providing a valuable theoretical foundation for their utilization in developing nutraceuticals and functional foods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Targeting Gut Microbiome with Functional Foods: Novel Interventions for Glucose and Lipid Metabolism Disorders)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

22 pages, 4815 KB  
Article
Supernatants from Water Extraction—Ethanol Precipitation of Fagopyrum tararicum Seeds Enhance T2DM Management in Mice by Regulating Intestinal Microbial Communities
by Xiaodong Ge, Xiaoxuan Du, Yaolin Wang, Yang Yang, Xiaoyu Gao, Yuchang Zhou, Yuting Jiang, Shiqi Xiao, Ligen Chen, Rong Shao, Wei Xu, Kyung-Min Kim and Na Wu
Foods 2026, 15(1), 143; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15010143 - 2 Jan 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 875
Abstract
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an endocrine–metabolic disorder characterized by pancreatic islet dysfunction-induced hyperglycemia, which triggers hepatic injury, intestinal microbiota dysbiosis, and systemic complications. Fagopyrum tararicum seeds exhibit various biological activities, including antioxidant, hypolipidemic, and antihypertensive effects. However, there is limited research [...] Read more.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an endocrine–metabolic disorder characterized by pancreatic islet dysfunction-induced hyperglycemia, which triggers hepatic injury, intestinal microbiota dysbiosis, and systemic complications. Fagopyrum tararicum seeds exhibit various biological activities, including antioxidant, hypolipidemic, and antihypertensive effects. However, there is limited research exploring how supernatants derived from the water extraction–ethanol precipitation of Fagopyrum tararicum seeds (SWEPFT) modulate the intestinal microbiota and their potential link to T2DM. This study evaluates SWEPFT’s effects on hyperglycemia and intestinal microbiota in T2DM mice. After a 4-week therapeutic period, SWEPFT markedly ameliorated hyperglycemia, as evidenced by reduced body weight (BW), fasting blood glucose (FBG), and glycated serum protein (GSP) and improved insulin sensitivity/resistance indicators (HOMA-IS/IR) and β-cell function (HOMA-β). Furthermore, the levels of both Akt1 and Slc2a2 transcription displayed notable enhancement. SWEPFT-H (high-dose SWEPFT) exhibited superior effects to SWEPFT-L (low-dose SWEPFT) in improving BW, FBG, and HOMA-IS. Moreover, SWEPFT modulated the intestinal microbiota by decreasing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, augmenting the proportion of Intestinimonas and Ruminiclostridium, and increasing the short-chain fatty acid content. A correlation analysis identified Candidatus_Arthromitus, Anaeroplasma, Candidatus_Stoquefichus, and Harryflintia as potential T2DM biomarkers linked to glycemic regulation. These findings elucidate SWEPFT’s critical role in microbiota modulation and hyperglycemia alleviation, providing a novel perspective for T2DM pathogenesis research and therapeutic development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Targeting Gut Microbiome with Functional Foods: Novel Interventions for Glucose and Lipid Metabolism Disorders)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop