Medicinal-Edible Homology: Functional Food Innovation and Mechanistic Health Efficacy Evaluation

Dear Colleagues,

The concept of medicinal-edible homology represents a cornerstone of traditional medicine, embodying the principle that many foods possess inherent therapeutic properties. As global healthcare paradigms shift decisively toward prevention and personalized nutrition, modern advancements in food science, nutrigenomics, and systems biology now enable rigorous scientific validation of these traditional resources. This Special Issue will establish a comprehensive international platform that bridges ancient wisdom with cutting-edge innovation. We are soliciting original research articles and comprehensive reviews on the following: (1) identification and mechanistic elucidation of bioactive compounds (peptides, polyphenols, flavonoids, polysaccharides) from medicinal-edible plant and animal resources; (2) probiotic fermentation biotransformation mechanisms, including systematic metabolic pathway analysis, antinutritional factor degradation, and structure–function modifications; (3) health effects and molecular mechanisms via standardized disease models for metabolic and inflammatory conditions, employing multi-omics evaluation; (4) innovative processing technologies and formulation strategies; (5) in vitro, in vivo, and clinical efficacy assessment models; (6) ingredient–microbiota interactions modulating metabolism and immunity; (7) standardization, quality control, and safety systems; (8) regulation of glucose/lipid metabolism and anti-inflammatory and anti-aging effects; and (9) industrial applications, market trends, and regulatory frameworks. We warmly invite contributions that significantly advance this important interdisciplinary field.

Dr. Qi Wang
Prof. Dr. Yafeng Zheng
Guest Editors

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