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The Regulation of Gut Microbiota by Probiotics and Dietary Nutrients...
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The Regulation of Gut Microbiota by Probiotics and Dietary Nutrients in Foods to Improve Human Health

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 18 March 2026 | Viewed by 5342

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Tao Wu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, China
Interests: food nutrition and function; natural products for chronic diseases prevention; development of new food resources
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Qian Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Food Science and Bioengineering, Tianjin Agricultural College, Tianjin, China
Interests: food nutrition and chemistry; natural ingredients and gut microbiota; development of new food resources

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As research on gut microbiota continues to progress and penetrate deeper, it has been discovered that the gut flora represents an intricate and sophisticated ecosystem, with its composition and functions being subject to the influence of a multitude of factors. Among them, diet stands out as one of the principal determinants in molding the gut microbial community. Notably, probiotics and diverse dietary nutrients are capable of engaging in direct interactions with gut microorganisms. Comprehending the mechanisms by which probiotics and dietary nutrients modulate the gut microbiota and subsequently enhance human health holds substantial potential value in various realms, such as the innovation and advancement of functional foods, as well as the prevention and treatment of diseases. This, in turn, contributes to the refinement and optimization of dietary guidelines, facilitating the creation of more efficacious probiotic supplements and nutrient-enriched foods, thereby catering to the specific health requirements of diverse population segments.

Therefore, this Special Issue aims to present a collection of studies focused on the current advances in the ‘Regulation of Gut Microbiota by Probiotics and Dietary Nutrients in Foods To Improve Human Health’. We kindly invite you to submit original review/research articles with novel ideas/concepts related to this topic. Research addressing the composition and function of gut microbiota, in vitro and in vivo investigations, and efficacy evaluations in intervention studies are particularly welcomed.

Dr. Tao Wu
Dr. Qian Li
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 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
  • dietary nutrients
  • gut microbiota
  • dietary fiber
  • polyphenols
  • fatty acids
  • inflammation
  • constipation
  • intestinal dysfunction
  • immunity
  • metabolic health

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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26 pages, 6254 KB  
Article
Heat-Inactivated Lactiplantibacillus plantarum FRT4 Alleviates Diet-Induced Obesity via Gut–Liver Axis Reprogramming
by Yuyin Huang, Qingya Wang, Xiling Han, Kun Meng, Guohua Liu, Haiou Zhang, Rui Zhang, Hongying Cai and Peilong Yang
Foods 2025, 14(16), 2799; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14162799 - 12 Aug 2025
Viewed by 703
Abstract
Obesity and related metabolic disorders are major global health challenges. Postbiotics, such as heat-inactivated probiotics, have attracted attention for their improved safety, stability, and potential metabolic benefits compared to live probiotics. However, the comparative anti-obesity effects and mechanisms of live versus heat-inactivated Lactiplantibacillus [...] Read more.
Obesity and related metabolic disorders are major global health challenges. Postbiotics, such as heat-inactivated probiotics, have attracted attention for their improved safety, stability, and potential metabolic benefits compared to live probiotics. However, the comparative anti-obesity effects and mechanisms of live versus heat-inactivated Lactiplantibacillus plantarum FRT4 remain unclear, so this study systematically evaluated their effects and mechanisms in high-fat-diet-induced obese mice. Mice received oral administration of live or heat-inactivated FRT4 (prepared by heating in a water bath at 80 °C for 5 min) for 16 weeks. Comprehensive analyses included metabolic profiling, histological evaluation, serum and liver biomarkers, gut microbiota composition, liver metabolomics, and transcriptomics. Both live and inactivated FRT4 significantly reduced body weight gain, adiposity, hepatic steatosis, and dyslipidemia, with inactivated FRT4 exhibiting comparable or superior efficacy. Notably, inactivated FRT4 restored gut microbiota composition, increased short-chain fatty acid production, and regulated hepatic metabolic pathways. Multi-omics analyses revealed modulation of lipid biosynthesis, amino acid metabolism, and energy utilization pathways. Specifically, the “biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids” pathway was downregulated in metabolomics and significantly enriched in transcriptomics, highlighting its central role in FRT4M-mediated metabolic reprogramming. These findings demonstrate that heat-inactivated Lp. plantarum FRT4 exerts systemic anti-obesity effects via gut–liver axis modulation, supporting its potential as a promising postbiotic intervention for obesity and metabolic dysfunction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Regulation of Gut Microbiota by Probiotics and Dietary Nutrients in Foods to Improve Human Health)
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25 pages, 3710 KB  
Article
Lactobacillus rhamnosus LRa05 Alleviates Constipation via Triaxial Modulation of Gut Motility, Microbiota Dynamics, and SCFA Metabolism
by Jingxin Zhang, Qian Li, Shanshan Liu, Ning Wang, Yu Song, Tao Wu and Min Zhang
Foods 2025, 14(13), 2293; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14132293 - 28 Jun 2025
Viewed by 3344
Abstract
Constipation, a widespread gastrointestinal disorder, imposes significant burdens on healthcare systems the and global health-related quality of life, yet current options remain suboptimal due to limited mechanistic understanding and efficacy limitations. Given the pivotal significance of the interactions between the gut microbiota and [...] Read more.
Constipation, a widespread gastrointestinal disorder, imposes significant burdens on healthcare systems the and global health-related quality of life, yet current options remain suboptimal due to limited mechanistic understanding and efficacy limitations. Given the pivotal significance of the interactions between the gut microbiota and the host on governing bowel movement, we employed a multi-modal approach integrating animal experiments, ELISA, histopathology, qRT-PCR, GC-MS, and 16S rRNA metagenomics to evaluate the functional potential of Lactobacillus rhamnosus LRa05 against loperamide-induced constipation in mice. LRa05 treatment markedly alleviated constipation symptoms, as evidenced by reduced first black stool expulsion time, increased fecal moisture, and enhanced intestinal motility. Mechanistic investigations revealed that LRa05 balanced gastrointestinal regulatory peptides. It also downregulated aquaporin (AQP4/AQP8) mRNA levels and activated the SCF/C-Kit signaling pathway. These effects contributed to the restoration of intestinal peristalsis. Furthermore, LRa05 rebalanced gut microbiota composition by enriching beneficial, including Alloprevotella and Lachnospiraceae NK4A136, key SCFA producers. Thus, LRa05 could boost short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, which is vital for stimulating intestinal motility, improving mucosal function, and relieving constipation. These findings demonstrated that LRa05 could mitigate constipation through a multi-target mechanism: regulating motility-related gene transcription, restructuring the microbial community, balancing gastrointestinal peptides, repairing the colonic mucosa, and promoting SCFAs for fecal hydration. Our study positions LRa05 as a promising probiotic candidate for constipation management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Regulation of Gut Microbiota by Probiotics and Dietary Nutrients in Foods to Improve Human Health)
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18 pages, 4744 KB  
Article
Millet Quinic Acid Relieves Colitis by Regulating Gut Microbiota and Inhibiting MyD88/NF-κB Signaling Pathway
by Sen Li, Ze Zhang, Lei Luo, Yu Zhang, Kai Huang and Xiao Guan
Foods 2025, 14(13), 2267; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14132267 - 26 Jun 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 485
Abstract
Polyphenols are compounds derived from plant-based food possessing numerous biological activities, including inhibiting oxidative stress, suppressing inflammation, and regulating gut microbiota. In this study, we investigated the effects of quinic acid, a phenolic acid from millet, on the regulation of gut microbiota and [...] Read more.
Polyphenols are compounds derived from plant-based food possessing numerous biological activities, including inhibiting oxidative stress, suppressing inflammation, and regulating gut microbiota. In this study, we investigated the effects of quinic acid, a phenolic acid from millet, on the regulation of gut microbiota and intestinal inflammation and further discussed the possible mechanism. The results showed that quinic acid could improve the microbiota composition of the feces of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by in vitro anaerobic fermentation by increasing the abundance of beneficial genera including Bifidobacterium, Weissella, etc., and decreasing that of harmful genera like Escherichia-Shigella. Quinic acid treatment could alleviate the symptoms of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis in mice, maintain the intestinal barrier, down-regulate the expression of inflammatory factors such as IL-1β and TNF-α, and inhibit the activation of the MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway. In addition, quinic acid also improved the diversity of gut microbiota in mice with colitis. Furthermore, pseudo-germ-free colitis mice proved that the effect of quinic acid on intestinal inflammation was diminished after removing most gut microbiota by antibiotic treatment, suggesting that gut microbiota play important roles during the regulation of colitis by quinic acid. In a word, our study verified the regulatory effects of quinic acid on intestinal inflammation, depending on gut microbiota regulation and NF-κB signaling suppression. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Regulation of Gut Microbiota by Probiotics and Dietary Nutrients in Foods to Improve Human Health)
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Review

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21 pages, 1347 KB  
Review
Food-Derived Carbon Dots: Formation, Detection, and Impact on Gut Microbiota
by Duyen H. H. Nguyen, Hassan El-Ramady, Gréta Törős, Arjun Muthu, Tamer Elsakhawy, Neama Abdalla, Walaa Alibrahem, Nihad Kharrat Helu and József Prokisch
Foods 2025, 14(17), 2980; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14172980 - 26 Aug 2025
Viewed by 415
Abstract
Food-derived carbon dots (F-CDs) are a novel class of carbon-based nanomaterials unintentionally generated during common thermal food processing techniques, such as baking, roasting, frying, and caramelization. These nanostructures exhibit unique optical and chemical properties, including photoluminescence, high aqueous solubility, and tunable surface functionality, [...] Read more.
Food-derived carbon dots (F-CDs) are a novel class of carbon-based nanomaterials unintentionally generated during common thermal food processing techniques, such as baking, roasting, frying, and caramelization. These nanostructures exhibit unique optical and chemical properties, including photoluminescence, high aqueous solubility, and tunable surface functionality, making them increasingly relevant to both food science and biomedical research. Recent studies have highlighted their ability to interact with biological systems, particularly the gut microbiota, a critical determinant of host metabolism, immunity, and overall health. This review critically summarizes the current understanding of F-CDs, including their mechanisms of formation, analytical detection methods, and physicochemical properties. It explores their biological fate in the gastrointestinal tract, encompassing absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion, with a focus on their stability and cellular uptake. Special attention is given to the interaction between F-CDs and the gut microbiota, where evidence suggests both beneficial (e.g., anti-inflammatory, antioxidant) and detrimental (e.g., dysbiosis, inflammatory signaling) effects, depending on the CD type, dose, and exposure context. Additionally, this review addresses toxicological concerns, highlighting gaps in long-term safety data, standardized detection methods, and regulatory oversight. The dual role of F-CDs—as potential modulators of the microbiota and as emerging dietary nanomaterials with uncharted risks—underscores the need for further interdisciplinary research. Future efforts should aim to refine detection protocols, assess chronic exposure outcomes, and clarify structure–function relationships to enable the safe and responsible application of these nanomaterials in food and health contexts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Regulation of Gut Microbiota by Probiotics and Dietary Nutrients in Foods to Improve Human Health)
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