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Bioactive Compound Delivery Systems and Microbiome Interactions

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Bioactives and Nutraceuticals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 1309

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Food Science and Technology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 Calea Manastur Street, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: nutrigenomics; metagenomics; metaproteomics; metabolomics; metatranscriptomics; understanding the molecular mechanisms of food compounds; molecular nutrition; personalised nutrition; personalised food; medical foods; aging and chronic disease; aging and NCDs; climate/environment, health, and improved nutrition; diet and cancer; dietary bioactive components; prebiotics fiber; nutrient-gene interactions; nutritional epidemiology; nutritional immunology and inflammation; obesity and microbiome; gut-brain axis; nutritional microbiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Clinical Center of Diabetes, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2-4 Clinicilor St., 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: oxidative stress; antioxidant polyphenols; anti-inflammatory; antimicrobial polyphenols; bioactive compound; biological activities
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bioactive compounds and nutraceuticals have grown significantly in recent years, and extensive research has been conducted on their health-promoting properties for various conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological disorders. However, a critical analysis of the current research landscape reveals significant gaps that limit these promising compounds' clinical translation and efficacy.

Two significant challenges stand out as follows: (1) the poor bioavailability and stability of many bioactive compounds in vivo and (2) the limited understanding of how individual variations, particularly in gut microbiome composition, influence the efficacy of bioactive interventions. Additionally, there is a growing consensus that the future of nutrition science lies in personalized approaches that account for individual genetic, metabolic, and microbiome profiles.

This Special Issue aims to address these interconnected research gaps by focusing on innovative delivery systems for bioactive compounds and their interactions with the gut microbiome. The ultimate goal is to advance personalized nutrition approaches.

This Special Issue will bring together cutting-edge research on the following topics:

  1. Novel delivery systems for bioactive compounds that enhance bioavailability, stability, and targeted delivery;
  2. Microbiome–bioactive interactions that influence the metabolism, bioavailability, and efficacy of bioactive compounds;
  3. Personalized nutrition approaches that leverage individual variations in response to bioactive compounds;
  4. Synergistic effects between multiple bioactive compounds and the microbiome.

Prof. Dr. Ramona Suharoschi
Dr. Adriana Fodor
Dr. Oana Lelia Pop
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • bioactive compounds
  • delivery systems
  • gut microbiome
  • personalized nutrition
  • bioavailability
  • encapsulation technologies
  • microbiome–bioactive interactions
  • targeted delivery
  • precision nutrition
  • synergistic interactions

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

34 pages, 1413 KB  
Review
Resistant Starch and Microbiota-Derived Secondary Metabolites: A Focus on Postbiotic Pathways in Gut Health and Irritable Bowel Syndrome
by Eniko Kovacs, Katalin Szabo, Rodica-Anita Varvara, Alina Uifãlean, Angela Cozma, Romana Vulturar, Adela Viviana Sitar-Taut, Rosita Gabbianelli, Mari C. W. Myhrstad, Vibeke H. Telle-Hansen, Olga Hilda Orãșan, Adriana Fodor, Ramona Suharoschi and Simona-Codruţa Hegheș
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(16), 7753; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26167753 - 11 Aug 2025
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Abstract
Resistant starch (RS) is emerging as a multifunctional dietary component and delivery platform for microbiota-accessible carbohydrates. Upon fermentation by gut microbiota, particularly in the colon, RS generates a wide spectrum of postbiotic compounds—including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), indoles, bile acid derivatives, and neuroactive [...] Read more.
Resistant starch (RS) is emerging as a multifunctional dietary component and delivery platform for microbiota-accessible carbohydrates. Upon fermentation by gut microbiota, particularly in the colon, RS generates a wide spectrum of postbiotic compounds—including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), indoles, bile acid derivatives, and neuroactive amines such as GABA and serotonin precursors. These metabolites modulate gut–brain signaling, immune responses, and intestinal barrier integrity, which are critical pathways in the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This review synthesizes current knowledge on RS structure, classification, and fermentation dynamics, with a special focus on RS3 due to its practical dietary relevance and strong microbiota-modulatory effects. We highlight emerging evidence from clinical studies supporting RS-mediated improvements in IBS symptoms, microbial diversity, and inflammation. Importantly, RS acts as a smart colonic delivery system by escaping enzymatic digestion in the small intestine and reaching the colon intact, where it serves as a targeted substrate for microbial fermentation into bioactive metabolites. This host–microbiota interplay underpins the development of personalized, microbiome-informed nutrition interventions tailored to specific IBS subtypes. Future directions include omics-based stratification, optimized RS formulations, and predictive algorithms for individualized responses. This review aims to clarify the mechanistic links between RS fermentation and postbiotic production, highlighting its therapeutic potential in IBS management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Compound Delivery Systems and Microbiome Interactions)
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