Molecular Insights into Traditional Foods: Bioactive Compounds, Gut Microbiota Modulation, and Health Outcomes
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: closed (31 March 2026) | Viewed by 1701
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Traditional foods are increasingly recognized as rich sources of bioactive molecules that modulate health through precise molecular mechanisms. Fibers, polyphenols, peptides, and fermentation-derived metabolites interact with gut microbiota, driving the production of short-chain fatty acids, regulating bile acid metabolism, and influencing host-signalling pathways linked to inflammation, oxidative stress, and energy balance. These molecular interactions are key to understanding the preventive and therapeutic potential of traditional diets against chronic diseases. Among them, metabolic syndrome is a prominent example where modulation of glucose and lipid metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and immune regulation by traditional foods has been documented. Expanding our mechanistic knowledge in this area not only clarifies the role of traditional foods in health promotion but also supports the development of novel functional foods and sustainable nutritional strategies.
We invite academic and industrial researchers in the fields of molecular nutrition, microbiota science, and functional food development to submit original research articles or reviews presenting the latest advances in molecular mechanisms by which traditional foods influence gut microbiota and systemic health outcomes.
Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Molecular mechanisms of bioactive compounds from traditional foods;
- Gut microbiota-derived metabolites and host metabolic regulation;
- Fermented foods and their role in immune, metabolic, and gastrointestinal pathways;
- Omics-based approaches to study diet–microbiota–host molecular interactions;
- Mechanistic insights into oxidative stress and inflammation modulation;
- Traditional food compounds and chronic disease prevention (e.g., metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, diabetes);
- Translational studies linking molecular mechanisms to functional food innovation.
Dr. Gaetano Cardone
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- gut microbiota
- bioactive compounds
- molecular nutrition
- metabolic health
- fermentation
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