Bioactive Components in Foods and Their Role in Gut Microbiota Modulation
A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Nutrition".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 January 2027 | Viewed by 32
Editors
Interests: bioactive compounds; polyphenols; gut microbiota; in vitro digestion; colonic fermentation; antioxidant activity; functional foods; bioaccessibility; glycemic response
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: microorganisms; edible coatings; films; biopolymer characterization; biological control agents; fungi control; natural compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Background
The human gut microbiota plays essential roles in digestion, metabolism, immune function, and host health. Its composition dynamically responds to dietary habits, particularly food bioactive components such as polyphenols, prebiotics, dietary fiber, proteins, and carotenoids. Derived from plant-based and fermented foods, these compounds exert pleiotropic health benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and metabolic effects. Crucially, their biological efficacy is mediated by gut microorganisms, which convert parent compounds into highly bioavailable metabolites, establishing a vital bidirectional relationship between dietary bioactives and human physiology.
Aim and Scope
This Special Issue aims to gather high-quality original research and review articles exploring the molecular, cellular, and physiological mechanisms by which food bioactive components modulate the composition and function of the gut microbiota.
The scope includes, but is not limited to:
- Identification and characterization of bioactive components with microbiota-modulating activity.
- Microbial biotransformation pathways of dietary bioactives into bioactive metabolites.
- Translation of bioactive–microbiome interactions into concrete physiological health benefits for the human host.
Dr. Francisco Javier Blancas-Benitez
Dr. Ramsés Ramón González-Estrada
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-anonymized 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 microbiota modulation
- food bioactive components
- dietary polyphenols
- dietary fiber
- prebiotics
- postbiotics
- short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)
- intestinal barrier integrity
- gut–brain axis
- functional food ingredients
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