Interaction Between Dietary Components and Gut Microbiota: Their Effect on Human and Animal Health

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2025) | Viewed by 5313

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, 17671 Athens, Greece
Interests: gut microbiota; SCFAs; aging; prebiotics; β-glucans; edible mushroom; Pleurotus ostreatus; Pleurotus eryngii; Hericium erinaceus; Cyclocybe cylindracea
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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Food Biotechnology and Recycling of Agricultural By-Products, Institute of Technology of Agricultural Products, Hellenic Agricultural Organization ELGO-DIMITRA, Sof. Venizelou 1, 14123 Lykovrysi, Greece
Interests: agricultural by-products and wastes valorization and recycling; waste treatment for the production of added value biotechnology products; bioactive compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Hellenic Agricultural Organization-DEMETER, Institute of Technology of Agricultural Products, Lab of Food Biotechnology and Recycling of Agricultural By-Products, Sof. Venizelou 1, 14123 Lykovrissi, Attica, Greece
Interests: exploitation of agricultural by-products and wastes; application of novel strategies for the development of high-added value products; bioconversion of agricultural by-products for the development of proteinaceous feedstuffs; isolation of bioactive compounds for the production of novel functional foods

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Gut Microbiota (GM) is a complex and dynamic ecosystem comprised of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa that colonize the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and interact with each other and with the host. The GM plays a crucial role in maintaining the homeostasis of the human body, influencing various physiological functions through a symbiotic relationship with the host. Any disruption from the normal composition of the GM, known as “microbial dysbiosis”, is characterized by an imbalance in the microbial ecology's composition and/or function. Recently, much attention has been given to the dynamic relationship between GM and the health and performance of animals. Both environmental factors and host-related factors wield influence over homeostasis, encompassing the perinatal disruption of colonization, genetics, diet, disease, and stress. Notably, among these factors, diet plays a central role in shaping the composition and dynamics of the GM. Dietary components such as proteins, lipids, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients enter the colon and interact with the GM. This interaction plays a crucial role in shaping the GM, exerting a profound impact on health by altering the microbiota and its metabolites. Thus, it is critical to understand how the GM utilizes various dietary components and how they affect GM.

The Special Issue entitled “Interaction Between Dietary Components and Gut Microbiota: Their Effect on Human and Animal Health” aims to present the recent research on any aspect of the impact of dietary components on GM and their interaction with human and animal health and disease. Relevant topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The effects of dietary components on the GM;
  • The effects of a whole-food diet on the GM;
  • The nutritional manipulation of human and animal health;
  • The influence of dietary patterns on GM in health and disease;
  • The valorization of agri-food wastes and by-products as animal feed and their effects on GM;
  • The effects of biotic products in GM;
  • Omics approaches for understanding the effects of dietary components on GM.

Dr. Georgia Saxami
Dr. Dimitrios Arapoglou
Dr. Christos Eliopoulos
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • gut microbiota
  • dietary components
  • disease prevention and development
  • probiotic and prebiotic
  • omics approaches
  • animals’ gut health

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 3488 KiB  
Article
Epilactose as a Promising Butyrate-Promoter Prebiotic via Microbiota Modulation
by Beatriz B. Cardoso, Cláudia Amorim, Ricardo Franco-Duarte, Joana I. Alves, Sónia G. Barbosa, Sara C. Silvério and Lígia R. Rodrigues
Life 2024, 14(5), 643; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14050643 - 18 May 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1735
Abstract
Epilactose is a disaccharide composed of galactose and mannose, and it is currently considered an “under development” prebiotic. In this study, we described the prebiotic potential of epilactose by in vitro fermentation using human fecal inocula from individuals following a Mediterranean diet (DM) [...] Read more.
Epilactose is a disaccharide composed of galactose and mannose, and it is currently considered an “under development” prebiotic. In this study, we described the prebiotic potential of epilactose by in vitro fermentation using human fecal inocula from individuals following a Mediterranean diet (DM) or a Vegan diet (DV). The prebiotic effect of epilactose was also compared with lactulose and raffinose, and interesting correlations were established between metabolites and microbiota modulation. The production of several metabolites (lactate, short-chain fatty acids, and gases) confirmed the prebiotic properties of epilactose. For both donors, the microbiota analysis showed that epilactose significantly stimulated the butyrate-producing bacteria, suggesting that its prebiotic effect could be independent of the donor diet. Butyrate is one of the current golden metabolites due to its benefits for the gut and systemic health. In the presence of epilactose, the production of butyrate was 70- and 63-fold higher for the DM donor, when compared to lactulose and raffinose, respectively. For the DV donor, an increase of 29- and 89-fold in the butyrate production was obtained when compared to lactulose and raffinose, respectively. In conclusion, this study suggests that epilactose holds potential functional properties for human health, especially towards the modulation of butyrate-producing strains. Full article
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Review

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24 pages, 1390 KiB  
Review
Gut Microbiota in the Progression of Type 2 Diabetes and the Potential Role of Exercise: A Critical Review
by Chariklia K. Deli, Ioannis G. Fatouros, Athanasios Poulios, Christina A. Liakou, Dimitrios Draganidis, Konstantinos Papanikolaou, Anastasia Rosvoglou, Athanasios Gatsas, Kalliopi Georgakouli, Panagiotis Tsimeas and Athanasios Z. Jamurtas
Life 2024, 14(8), 1016; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14081016 - 15 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2858
Abstract
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is the predominant metabolic epidemic posing a major threat to global health. Growing evidence indicates that gut microbiota (GM) may critically influence the progression from normal glucose tolerance, to pre-diabetes, to T2D. On the other hand, regular exercise contributes [...] Read more.
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is the predominant metabolic epidemic posing a major threat to global health. Growing evidence indicates that gut microbiota (GM) may critically influence the progression from normal glucose tolerance, to pre-diabetes, to T2D. On the other hand, regular exercise contributes to the prevention and/or treatment of the disease, and evidence suggests that a possible way regular exercise favorably affects T2D is by altering GM composition toward health-promoting bacteria. However, research regarding this potential effect of exercise-induced changes of GM on T2D and the associated mechanisms through which these effects are accomplished is limited. This review presents current data regarding the association of GM composition and T2D and the possible critical GM differentiation in the progression from normal glucose, to pre-diabetes, to T2D. Additionally, potential mechanisms through which GM may affect T2D are presented. The effect of exercise on GM composition and function on T2D progression is also discussed. Full article
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