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Life
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Postbiotics—Bioactive Microbial Compounds as Health-Promoting Agents
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Postbiotics—Bioactive Microbial Compounds as Health-Promoting Agents

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2025 | Viewed by 2249

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Katarzyna Oszajca

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Guest Editor
Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
Interests: oxidative stress; bioactive food compounds; dietetics; neurodegeneration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Janusz Szemraj

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
Interests: molecular basis of civilization diseases; microRNA; microbiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The human gut microbiome is emerging as an essential agent in the interaction between diet and metabolic health. Postbiotics, which are probiotic metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), bile acids, vitamins, tryptophan, or indole derivatives, serve as key molecular mediators between the microbiota and the host. Postbiotics play an important role in maintaining a proper intestinal barrier and the condition of the entire gastrointestinal tract, but there are also a growing number of reports on the action of these bioactive compounds in various other tissues of the body. The mechanism and effects of postbiotics on human health are not yet fully understood. More and more studies demonstrate their effect on reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, eliminating the presence of harmful pathogens or stimulating the human immune system.

Probiotic supplementation has many health benefits, but is not without drawbacks such as quality fluctuations, short shelf life, heterogeneous effects, and incompatibility with immunocompromised people. Postbiotics, meanwhile, are safer and more stable, easier to store, and are associated with a lower risk of antimicrobial resistance. Postbiotics are therefore becoming a new target for research into harnessing their health-promoting potential.

This Special Issue invites high-quality original research papers, as well as comprehensive reviews focusing on the roles of postbiotics in supporting human health and preventing various diseases.

Dr. Katarzyna Oszajca
Prof. Dr. Janusz Szemraj
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. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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

  • gut microbiota
  • postbiotics
  • prebiotics
  • microbiota-derived metabolites
  • postbiotic supplementation
  • postbiotics and health benefits
  • dysbiosis

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 2830 KiB  
Article
Postbiotic Intervention in Sarcopenia: The Role of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum HY7715 and Its Extracellular Vesicles
by Kippeum Lee, Soo Dong Park, Joo Yun Kim, Jae Jung Shim and Jae Hwan Lee
Life 2025, 15(7), 1101; https://doi.org/10.3390/life15071101 - 14 Jul 2025
Viewed by 433
Abstract
Sarcopenia, the age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, is associated with inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and gut barrier impairment. This study investigates the postbiotic effects of heat-killed Lactiplantibacillus plantarum HY7715 (HY7715) and its extracellular vesicles (EVs) on muscle health and intestinal integrity. [...] Read more.
Sarcopenia, the age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, is associated with inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and gut barrier impairment. This study investigates the postbiotic effects of heat-killed Lactiplantibacillus plantarum HY7715 (HY7715) and its extracellular vesicles (EVs) on muscle health and intestinal integrity. In C2C12 myotubes, both treatments enhanced myogenic differentiation by upregulating Myf5 and MYOG, and improved mitochondrial activity and biogenesis via increased PGC1α and mTOR expression. Under TNFα-induced muscle atrophy, they suppressed expression of atrophy-related markers (Fbox32, MuRF1, and myostatin). EVs showed stronger anti-inflammatory effects by reducing IL6 expression in muscle cells. In intestinal Caco-2 cells, HY7715-derived EVs improved barrier function by upregulating tight junction proteins (ZO-1, occludin, and claudins), and effectively reduced LPS-induced inflammation. These findings suggest that heat-killed HY7715 and its EVs may alleviate sarcopenia by enhancing muscle regeneration and maintaining intestinal homeostasis, highlighting their potential as safe, gut–muscle axis-targeting postbiotic interventions for healthy aging. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Postbiotics—Bioactive Microbial Compounds as Health-Promoting Agents)
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23 pages, 7855 KiB  
Article
Novel Acylated Naringin Enhances Propionate Release and Stimulates the Growth of Flavanone-Metabolizing Bacteria in an In Vitro Batch Fermentation Model
by Blanca Elizabeth Ruiz-Álvarez, José Daniel Padilla-de la Rosa, Marisela González Avila, Georgina Sandoval and Yves Desjardins
Life 2025, 15(6), 967; https://doi.org/10.3390/life15060967 - 17 Jun 2025
Viewed by 854
Abstract
The increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is strongly associated with gut microbiota (GM) imbalances and reduced short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, primarily driven by poor diet and microbial dysbiosis. Since SCFAs are crucial for gut health, immune regulation, and inflammation control, restoring [...] Read more.
The increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is strongly associated with gut microbiota (GM) imbalances and reduced short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, primarily driven by poor diet and microbial dysbiosis. Since SCFAs are crucial for gut health, immune regulation, and inflammation control, restoring their levels is a key therapeutic target. SCFA-acylated naringin derivatives offer a novel approach by enhancing SCFA delivery and modulating GM composition. In this study, we investigated the effects of naringin acetate and naringin propionate on SCFA production using a 24 h short-term in vitro batch fecal fermentation model with microbiota from two donors. Naringin propionate and naringin plus free propionate significantly increased propionate levels by 0.74 mM and 0.75 mM, respectively (p < 0.0001), while naringin acetate induced a smaller increase of 0.26 mM. Donor-specific reflected differences in microbial communities, yet SCFA enhancement was observed across samples. Additionally, naringin treatments stimulated the growth of beneficial polyphenol-metabolizing bacteria, including Bacteroides, Streptococcus, and Eubacterium siraeum. The strong effect of naringin propionate suggests a sustained SCFA release mediated by microbial enzymes. These preliminary results highlight the potential of SCFA-acylated flavonoids as functional dietary components to increase SCFA bioavailability and support gut health, particularly from citrus-derived co-products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Postbiotics—Bioactive Microbial Compounds as Health-Promoting Agents)
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Review

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32 pages, 1078 KiB  
Review
Postbiotics: A Promising Approach to Combat Age-Related Diseases
by Adel Hamdi, Charmaine Lloyd, Rajaraman Eri and Thi Thu Hao Van
Life 2025, 15(8), 1190; https://doi.org/10.3390/life15081190 - 26 Jul 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 694
Abstract
Dietary patterns have been identified as one of the most important modifiable risk factors for several non-communicable diseases, inextricably linked to the health span of older people. Poor dietary choices may act as triggers for immune responses such as aggravated inflammatory reactions and [...] Read more.
Dietary patterns have been identified as one of the most important modifiable risk factors for several non-communicable diseases, inextricably linked to the health span of older people. Poor dietary choices may act as triggers for immune responses such as aggravated inflammatory reactions and oxidative stress contributing to the pathophysiology of several ageing hallmarks. Novel dietary interventions are being explored to restore gut microbiota balance and promote overall health in ageing populations. Probiotics and, most recently, postbiotics, which are products of probiotic fermentation, have been reported to modulate different signalling biomolecules involved in immunity, metabolism, inflammation, and oxidation pathways. This review presents evidence-based literature on the effects of postbiotics in promoting healthy ageing and mitigating various age-related diseases. The development of postbiotic-based therapeutics and diet-based interventions within a personalised microbiota-targeted approach is proposed as a possible direction for improving health in the elderly population. Despite growing evidence, the data regarding their exact mechanistic pathways for antioxidant and immunomodulating activities remain largely unexplored. Expanding our understanding of the mechanistic and chemical determinants of postbiotics could contribute to disease management approaches, as well as the development of and optimisation of biotherapeutics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Postbiotics—Bioactive Microbial Compounds as Health-Promoting Agents)
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