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Probiotics: Health Benefits in Relation to Gut Microbiota and Functional...
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Probiotics: Health Benefits in Relation to Gut Microbiota and Functional Food Applications

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods, and Novel Foods".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 29 August 2025 | Viewed by 7303

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Yi Xu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, China
Interests: gut–brain axis; gut microbiota and heath; probiotics and health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Probiotics are live organisms that can confer health benefits to the host when ingested. They have been widely accepted as essential ingredients capable of modulating the functionality of various systems, particularly the central nervous system via the gut–brain axis. Understanding the mechanisms by which probiotics exert beneficial effects on various organs, from a systemic, cellular, and molecular perspective, is a major topic of research. The gut microbiota is generally considered to be critical in mediating the impact of probiotics. Therefore, deciphering the connections among the gut microbiota, probiotics, and consequent physiological phenomena is important. In the field of functional foods, combining food processing with probiotics is designed to provide ordinary foods with additional functionalities, creating novel food products.

The aim of this Special Issue of Foods is to gather and display cutting-edge research on probiotic-mediated health effects and the involved mechanisms. Here, food is defined broadly: from ingredients and prototypes to products on the market, dishes, and even diets. This Special Issue welcomes original research articles and reviews on studies that have used probiotics to interfere with various types of abnormalities or diseases, including neurological disorders. We are also interested in research that explores the exact pathways and roles of gut microbiota in relevant physiology or pathology. Diverse food forms combined with probiotics, as functional foods, are also of interest, with a focus on their associations with health effects. Clear and concisely written manuscripts are highly desirable and appreciated.

Dr. Yi Xu
Guest Editor

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

  • probiotics
  • functional foods
  • gut microbiota
  • central nervous system
  • gut–brain axis
  • neurological disorders

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 4538 KiB  
Article
Royal Jelly Enhances the Social Status of Submissive Rats by Restoring Balance to the Disturbed Gut–Brain Communication
by Feng Zhu, Jinchun Xu, Tian Wang, Ruili Yang, Biao He, Hui-Li Wang and Yi Xu
Foods 2025, 14(5), 819; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14050819 - 27 Feb 2025
Viewed by 892
Abstract
Royal jelly (RJ) has long been considered a crucial dietary component in dictating caste differentiation in honeybees. As a nutritional additive, royal jelly imparts a broad range of benefits to mammals and humans; however, its precise impact on the social hierarchy of these [...] Read more.
Royal jelly (RJ) has long been considered a crucial dietary component in dictating caste differentiation in honeybees. As a nutritional additive, royal jelly imparts a broad range of benefits to mammals and humans; however, its precise impact on the social hierarchy of these advanced animals is not yet fully understood. This study aims to determine whether the benefits of royal jelly can be transferred to rats to alter their social ranks and uncover the underlying mechanisms. A submissive model was established by inducing dysbiosis in rats, via the persistent exposure of vancomycin. Royal jelly at a dose of 2.5 g/kg was daily administered to the subject rats during postnatal weeks (PNW) 6 and 7. At the end of the intervention, animals were subjected to agonistic, water and tube competition tests, in order to assess their dominance status. As revealed by the results, the RJ treatment significantly improved the social rank of the dysbiotic rats, demonstrating that RJ can elicit positive effect on the social behaviors (caused by dysbiosis) of rats. All behavioral paradigms yielded consistent results, with no notable differences in body weight or anxiety levels. Regarding gut microbiome, vancomycin exposure caused the dysbiosis of the subject rats, which was partially reversed by treatment with royal jelly. Specifically, the intestinal presence of Proteobacteria was profoundly attenuated by the RJ supplementation, resulting in a comparable level with the intact/dominant rats. At the genus level, both Escherichia and Clostridium displayed similar dynamics in relation to Proteobacteria, implying their involvement with the RJ-mediated dominance switching. Transcriptomic analysis in the medial prefrontal context showed that the expression of a broad range of genes was influenced by RJ intake, embodying various pathways related to neuronal transmission such as neuroactive ligan–receptor interaction, the synaptic vesicle cycle, etc. By virtue of correlation analysis, Escherichia, Akkermansia and Clostridium were strongly associated with a set of gene modules around gastrin releasing peptide (Grp) and signaling pathways around Rps6ka3, establishing an intrinsic gut–brain communication. Furthermore, the infection trials of Escherichia significantly degraded the social ranks of the RJ-remedied rats in tube tests, while a series of cerebral genes like Grpr and Grpel1, as well as prefrontal spine density, were concordantly altered, underscoring the critical role of the gut–brain link in deciding the outcomes of the dyadic contests. In summary, this is an intriguing example of how royal jelly can influence the social ranks of mammals, emphasizing the importance of microbe–host interaction in mediating this species-spanning function of royal jelly in shaping social hierarchy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Probiotics: Health Benefits in Relation to Gut Microbiota and Functional Food Applications)
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19 pages, 5768 KiB  
Article
Weizmannia coagulans BC99: A Novel Adjunct to Protein Supplementation for Enhancing Exercise Endurance and Reducing Fatigue
by Minghan Guo, Lina Zhao, Li Cao, Xuan Li, Jie Zhang, Yao Dong, Ying Wu and Shaobin Gu
Foods 2025, 14(5), 801; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14050801 - 26 Feb 2025
Viewed by 761
Abstract
Adequate protein consumption is essential for optimal physical fitness and enhancing athletic performance. This study explored the impact of Weizmannia coagulans BC99 on protein-supplemented male fatigued mice, examining aspects such as protein digestion, exercise endurance, fatigue-related biochemistry, oxidative stress, and gut microbiota alterations. [...] Read more.
Adequate protein consumption is essential for optimal physical fitness and enhancing athletic performance. This study explored the impact of Weizmannia coagulans BC99 on protein-supplemented male fatigued mice, examining aspects such as protein digestion, exercise endurance, fatigue-related biochemistry, oxidative stress, and gut microbiota alterations. Results indicate that the synergistic effect of probiotics and protein significantly boosts the activity of protein-digesting enzymes, enhances protein absorption, and reduces serum levels of urea nitrogen, lactate, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, malondialdehyde, and the inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β and interleukin-6 in skeletal muscle. Additionally, serum catalase, glutathione, superoxide dismutase levels, interleukin-4 in skeletal muscle, and glycogen stores in muscle and liver were notably increased. The study also found elevated mRNA expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 in skeletal muscle. Furthermore, an increase in short-chain fatty acids was observed in the probiotic treatment group, and 16S rDNA sequencing revealed that Weizmannia coagulans BC99 enhanced gut microbiota diversity and augmented beneficial bacterial populations including Roseburia, Mucispirillum, Rikenella, and Kineothrix. Collectively, these findings suggest that combining BC99 with protein supplementation can effectively improve gut flora, thereby enhancing exercise capacity and exerting potent anti-fatigue effects. Our research provides a new possibility for alleviating exercise-induced fatigue. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Probiotics: Health Benefits in Relation to Gut Microbiota and Functional Food Applications)
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12 pages, 898 KiB  
Article
Efficacy and Safety of Wilac L Probiotic Complex Isolated from Kimchi on the Regulation of Alcohol and Acetaldehyde Metabolism in Humans
by Hwayeon Sun, Sangmin Park, Jiye Mok, Jeonghyun Seo, Nicole Dain Lee and Byungwook Yoo
Foods 2024, 13(20), 3285; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13203285 - 16 Oct 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2030
Abstract
Alcohol-related hangovers impact both physical and mental wellness, largely due to acetaldehyde levels produced through alcohol metabolism. The present study investigated the efficacy and safety of the Wilac L probiotic complex (Levilactobacillus brevis WiKim0168 and Leuconostoc mesenteroides WiKim0172 isolated from kimchi) in [...] Read more.
Alcohol-related hangovers impact both physical and mental wellness, largely due to acetaldehyde levels produced through alcohol metabolism. The present study investigated the efficacy and safety of the Wilac L probiotic complex (Levilactobacillus brevis WiKim0168 and Leuconostoc mesenteroides WiKim0172 isolated from kimchi) in improving hangovers post-alcohol consumption. This study was conducted as a randomized, double-blind, crossover placebo-controlled clinical trial from August 2023 to February 2024. Subjects (n = 26) were randomized into six test groups consuming three products, the Wilac L probiotic complex, Wilac L35 (Wilac L probiotic complex with Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai), or placebo, in different orders with crossover after a wash-out interval of 7–10 days. Blood alcohol and acetaldehyde concentrations were measured 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 15 h after alcohol consumption. The blood acetaldehyde levels measured with Wilac L probiotic complex supplementation were significantly lower than the control at 0.25 (p = 0.0381), 0.5 (p = 0.0498), and 1 h (p = 0.0260) post-consumption. The blood acetaldehyde levels after Wilac L35 consumption compared to the control are significant at 0.25 (p = 0.0115), 0.5 (p = 0.0054), 1 (p = 0.0285), 2 (p = 0.0113), and 6 h (p = 0.0287) post-consumption. No significant adverse events were reported. The Wilac L probiotic complex is associated with decreased blood acetaldehyde levels and improved subjective hangover symptoms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Probiotics: Health Benefits in Relation to Gut Microbiota and Functional Food Applications)
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Review

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19 pages, 3989 KiB  
Review
Probiotic Microorganisms in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Live Biotherapeutics as Food
by Emanuelle Natalee Santos, Karina Teixeira Magalhães-Guedes, Fernando Elias de Melo Borges, Danton Diego Ferreira, Daniele Ferreira da Silva, Pietro Carlos Gonçalves Conceição, Ana Katerine de Carvalho Lima, Lucas Guimarães Cardoso, Marcelo Andrés Umsza-Guez and Cíntia Lacerda Ramos
Foods 2024, 13(24), 4097; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13244097 - 18 Dec 2024
Viewed by 2899
Abstract
(1) Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are characterized by chronic and complex inflammatory processes of the digestive tract that evolve with frequent relapses and manifest at any age; they predominantly affect young individuals. Diet plays a direct role in maintaining the gut mucosal [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are characterized by chronic and complex inflammatory processes of the digestive tract that evolve with frequent relapses and manifest at any age; they predominantly affect young individuals. Diet plays a direct role in maintaining the gut mucosal integrity and immune function. Regarding the diet, the administration of probiotics stands out. The use of probiotics for IBD treatment has shown promising effects on consumers’ quality of life. (2) Methods: This study aimed to conduct a literature review on the effects of probiotic and smart probiotic ingestion on IBD and analyze the available literature based on the searched keywords using boxplot diagrams to search for scientific data in the online literature published up to October 2024. (3) Results: Google Scholar (containing ~6 × 106 articles) and Science Direct (containing ~5 × 106 articles) were the databases with the highest number of articles for the keywords used in the study. When analyzing the content of the articles, although probiotic microorganisms are currently not part of the standard treatment protocol for IBD, these live biotherapeutics have proven to be an effective treatment option, considering the adverse effects of conventional therapies. Furthermore, the development of genetically engineered probiotics or smart probiotics is a promising treatment for IBD. (4) Conclusions: Probiotics and smart probiotics could represent the future of nutritional medicine in IBD care, allowing patients to be treated in a more natural, safe, effective, and nutritious way. However, although many studies have demonstrated the potential of this biotherapy, clinical trials standardizing dosage and strains are still necessary. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Probiotics: Health Benefits in Relation to Gut Microbiota and Functional Food Applications)
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