New Insights into Probiotics and Prebiotics as Functional Foods on Improving Human Health
A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Microbiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 November 2025 | Viewed by 39
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue invites cutting-edge contributions that deepen our understanding of how probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, and psychobiotics exert health benefits through well-defined mechanisms of action. Due to the growing interest in microbiota–host interactions, we welcome studies exploring the role of functional foods—including dairy and non-dairy products such as plant-based fermented beverages, legume-derived snacks, or algae-enriched foods—in modulating human health.
We seek research elucidating molecular pathways, such as the short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production by postbiotics (e.g., butyrate from Faecalibacterium prausnitzii) for metabolic regulation or vagus nerve-mediated gut–brain communication via psychobiotics like Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. Contributions should address innovative prebiotic sources, such as oligosaccharides from agro-industrial byproducts (e.g., apple pomace and sugarcane bagasse) or chitin-glucan from fungal biomass, and their impact on gut microbiota diversity. Novel applications of next-generation probiotics (e.g., Akkermansia muciniphila for metabolic syndrome and Bifidobacterium longum APC1472 for appetite regulation) and postbiotic formulations (e.g., bacteriocins and cell-free supernatants) are of particular interest. Studies on non-dairy carriers, such as synbiotic kombucha with Bacillus coagulans and green tea polyphenols or plant-based matrices fortified with Saccharomyces boulardii, are encouraged to address challenges in stability and consumer trends.
Submissions should emphasize translational outcomes, such as clinical trials testing psychobiotics for anxiety reduction via serotonin modulation or the industrial-scale production of prebiotics using the enzymatic hydrolysis of underutilized crops. We welcome the inclusion of interdisciplinary methodologies, including multi-omics approaches (metagenomics and metabolomics) to map host–microbe interactions, in vitro gut models simulating colonic fermentation, or microencapsulation technologies to enhance probiotic viability in acidic plant-based yogurts. Regulatory and safety considerations, such as EFSA-compliant health claims for postbiotics or GRAS certification for novel strains in non-dairy matrices, should be addressed to bridge the gap between research and commercialization.
Dr. Silvani Verruck
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- psychobiotics
- postbiotic
- functional food
- non-dairy products
- plant-based products
- prebiotics
- probiotics
- new generation probiotics
- innovative sources of prebiotics
- synbiotics
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