Bioactive Compounds in Plant Foods: Implications for the Gut Microbiota and Human Health
A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Nutrition".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 November 2025 | Viewed by 253
Special Issue Editors
Interests: food science and technology; food safety; antimicrobials; microbiology; biotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: biological chemistry; antioxidants; anti-inflammatories; bioactive compounds; polyphenols
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: food science and technology; biochemistry; food safety; antimicrobials; microbiology; biotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Plant foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and herbs) are rich sources of bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, phytochemicals, dietary fiber, and prebiotics. These compounds influence the gut microbiota composition and function, which in turn modulates human health through microbial metabolites (e.g., short-chain fatty acids, and neurotransmitters). Understanding how bioactive compounds in plant foods interact with the gut microbiota opens new avenues for preventing and managing chronic diseases.
This Special Issue welcomes contributions related to this subject, with topics including the following:
- Mechanisms of Interaction Between Bioactive Compounds and Gut Microbiota
- Modulation of microbial diversity: growth promotion of beneficial bacteria and inhibition of pathogens.
- Metabolic transformations: microbial bioconversion of polyphenols into absorbable metabolites.
- SCFA production: fermentation of dietary fiber into butyrate, propionate, and acetate, which regulate immune function and gut barrier integrity.
- Impact on Gut Microbiota Composition
- Prebiotic effects: selective stimulation of beneficial microorganisms.
- Antimicrobial effects: suppression of harmful bacteria (e.g., Clostridioides difficile, Escherichia coli).
- Gut microbiota resilience: role in maintaining microbial stability under stressors (antibiotics, high-fat diets, aging).
- Health Implications
- Metabolic health: obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome via microbiota-mediated pathways.
- Gastrointestinal disorders: inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and colorectal cancer prevention.
- Neurodegenerative and mental health: gut–brain axis modulation (e.g., polyphenols and serotonin production).
- Cardiometabolic benefits: cholesterol reduction, blood pressure regulation, and anti-inflammatory effects.
Dr. Célia C. G. Silva
Dr. Daniela Ribeiro
Dr. Susana Isabel Chaves Ribeiro
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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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
- bioactive compounds
- gut microbiota
- health benefits
- active nutrition
- prebiotics
- microbiota modulation
- inflammatory diseases
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