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Microorganisms
Special Issues
Gut Microbiome and Functional Foods
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Gut Microbiome and Functional Foods

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 7872

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Elisavet Stavropoulou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Infectious Diseases, CHUV (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
Interests: infectious diseases; antibiotics; probiotics; microbial ecology; health; disease; microbiota; hygiene; diet; intestine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Christina Tsigalou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
Interests: immunology; autoimmunity; diet; microbiome; functional foods; antimicrobials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Chrissoula Voidarou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, School of Agriculture, University of Ioannina, 47100 Arta, Greece
Interests: microbiology; microbial ecology; public health; food-borne diseases; food technology; food safety; nutrients; fermented foods; lactic acid bacteria; antimicrobial resistance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will collect research on microbiome in relation to functional foods to illuminate the microbiome role and functions in health and disease.

Interest in functional foods has stressed the researcher’s interest due to their relationship to diet and health. A proper diet maintains a healthy intestinal ecosystem and impacts overall health.

European Union guidelines for the safe use of functional foods as food or as biotherapeutic agents should be enforced. Functional foods are foods that go beyond the classic eating habits and usually have a beneficial effect on their host. Functional foods are well known to hold an important role in the composition and balance of the intestinal ecosystem. Yet, probiotic seems to be dependent on diet, environmental factors, stress, and antibiotics.

Phytochemicals and natural products and foods directly or through their metabolic products can also inhibit pathogenic bacteria while stimulating the growth of those beneficial bacteria.

Still, another important issue is the spreading of antibiotic resistance into consumed dairy and meat products that could select some bacterial species. The immune status, induced mechanisms and interactions that regulate the gut microbiota, as well as the clinical applications of microflora in the treatment and prevention of diseases, will be discussed. Research into both human and animal microbiomes and how it affects health status will be considered. Therefore, optimizing nutrient intake is a mighty factor in maintaining digestive health.

Lastly, awareness of the relationship between food and health must be constant through development of permanent surveillance systems.

Dr. Elisavet Stavropoulou
Dr. Christina Tsigalou
Dr. Chrissoula Voidarou
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. Microorganisms 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 2700 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

  • food
  • antibiotics
  • probiotics
  • diet
  • health
  • disease
  • gut microbiome
  • functional food

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 7344 KiB  
Article
Effect of Saccharina japonica Intake on Blood Pressure and Gut Microbiota Composition in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
by Ayaka Harui, Saki Maruyama, Yukiko Segawa and Nobutaka Kurihara
Microorganisms 2024, 12(3), 556; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12030556 - 11 Mar 2024
Viewed by 559
Abstract
It was reported that the consumption of Saccharina japonica (SJ) lowers blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive rats. Hypertension is related to gut microbiota, and hypertensive patients develop dysbiosis. It was reported that the intake of dietary fiber and polysaccharides contained in SJ changes [...] Read more.
It was reported that the consumption of Saccharina japonica (SJ) lowers blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive rats. Hypertension is related to gut microbiota, and hypertensive patients develop dysbiosis. It was reported that the intake of dietary fiber and polysaccharides contained in SJ changes gut microbiota and increases short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). The present study examined the effect of BP lowering by SJ in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and observed changes in gut microbiota composition and SCFAs concentration. Male SHRs and Wistar Kyoto rats (WKYs) were fed a diet containing 5% SJ or a control diet for six weeks. We measured systolic BP (SBP) weekly, as well as mean arterial BP (MAP), the 16S rRNA gene, and SCFAs in the cecal contents at the end of the period. As a result, the intake of SJ significantly decreased SBP and MAP in SHRs. As well, it significantly changed the microbial diversity by altering the gut microbiota composition. Particularly, it increased the abundance of Bacteroides acidifaciens, which may be associated with the antihypertensive effect of SJ. Thus, SJ intake suppressed the increase in BP and altered the gut microbiota composition, although it did not significantly change the SCFAs concentration in the cecal contents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gut Microbiome and Functional Foods)
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16 pages, 2801 KiB  
Article
Ameliorative Effects of Anthocyanin Metabolites on Western Diet-Induced NAFLD by Modulating Co-Occurrence Networks of Gut Microbiome
by Hironobu Nakano, Kozue Sakao, Koji Wada and De-Xing Hou
Microorganisms 2023, 11(10), 2408; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11102408 - 27 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1057
Abstract
Anthocyanins (Acn) have been reported to have preventive effects on Western diet (WD)-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the amount of Acn that reached the bloodstream were less than 1%, suggesting that anthocyanin metabolites (Acn-M) in the gut may contribute to their [...] Read more.
Anthocyanins (Acn) have been reported to have preventive effects on Western diet (WD)-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the amount of Acn that reached the bloodstream were less than 1%, suggesting that anthocyanin metabolites (Acn-M) in the gut may contribute to their in vivo effects. This study is focused on a gut microbiota investigation to elucidate the effect of two major Acn-M, protocatechuic acid (PC) and phloroglucinol carboxaldehyde (PG), on NAFLD prevention. C57BL/6N male mice were divided into five groups and fed with a normal diet (ND), WD, WD + 0.5% PC, WD + 0.5% PG and WD + a mixture of 0.25% PC + 0.25% PG (CG) for 12 weeks. The results revealed that WD-fed mice showed a significant increase in final body weight, epididymis fat weight, liver weight and fat accumulation rate, serum total cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, and 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. At the same time, these indices were significantly decreased by Acn-M in the order of PG, CG > PC. In particular, PG significantly decreased serum glucose and insulin resistance. Gut microbiome analysis revealed that PG significantly increased the relative abundance of Parabacteroides, Prevotella, Prevotella/Bacteroides ratio, and upregulated glucose degradation pathway. Interestingly, the co-occurrence networks of Lachnospiraceae and Desulfovibrionaceae in the PC and PG groups were similar to the ND group and different to WD group. These data suggest that PC and PG were able to recover the gut microbiome networks and functions from dysbiosis caused by WD. Therefore, PG might act as a master metabolite for anthocyanins and prevent WD-induced NAFLD and gut dysbiosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gut Microbiome and Functional Foods)
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10 pages, 1975 KiB  
Communication
Modulatory Effects of A1 Milk, A2 Milk, Soy, and Egg Proteins on Gut Microbiota and Fermentation
by Nuomin, Riyang Baek, Takeshi Tsuruta and Naoki Nishino
Microorganisms 2023, 11(5), 1194; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11051194 - 03 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1674
Abstract
Milk can be divided into A1 and A2 types according to β-casein variants, and there is a debate about whether A1 milk consumption exacerbates gut environments. This study examined the cecum microbiota and fermentation in mice fed A1 casein, A2 casein, mixed casein [...] Read more.
Milk can be divided into A1 and A2 types according to β-casein variants, and there is a debate about whether A1 milk consumption exacerbates gut environments. This study examined the cecum microbiota and fermentation in mice fed A1 casein, A2 casein, mixed casein (commercial casein), soy protein isolate, and egg white. The cecum acetic acid concentration was higher, and the relative abundances of Muribaculaceae and Desulfovibrionaceae were greater in mice fed A1 versus A2 casein. The other parameters of cecum fermentation and microbiota composition were similar among the mice fed A1, A2, and mixed caseins. The differences were more distinctive among the three caseins, soy, and egg feedings. Chao 1 and Shannon indices of the cecum microbiota were lowered in egg white-fed mice, and the microbiota of mice fed milk, soy, and egg proteins were separately grouped by principal coordinate analysis. Mice fed the three caseins were characterized by a high abundance of Lactobacillaceae and Clostridiaceae, those fed soy were characterized by Corynebacteriaceae, Muribaculaceae, and Ruminococcaceae, and those fed egg white were characterized by Eggerthellaceae, Rikenellaceae, and Erysipelatoclostridiaceae. Thus, although several differences can arise between A1 and A2 caseins in terms of their modulatory effects on gut environments, the differences between milk, soy, and egg proteins can be more distinctive and are worth further consideration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gut Microbiome and Functional Foods)
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14 pages, 4080 KiB  
Article
Modulatory Effects of Heat-Inactivated Streptococcus Thermophilus Strain 7 on the Inflammatory Response: A Study on an Animal Model with TLR3-Induced Intestinal Injury
by Gilbert Aaron Lee, Yu-Wei Chang, Wan-Li Lin, Yu-Chen S. H. Yang, Wei-Jen Chen, Fu-Huan Huang and Yun-Ru Liu
Microorganisms 2023, 11(2), 278; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11020278 - 20 Jan 2023
Viewed by 2225
Abstract
Rotavirus infections result in severe gastroenteritis with a detrimental inflammatory response in the intestine. Because probiotics have an anti-inflammatory effect and can modulate the gut microbiota profile, they can be used as a biotherapy for inflammatory intestinal diseases. In this study, we isolated [...] Read more.
Rotavirus infections result in severe gastroenteritis with a detrimental inflammatory response in the intestine. Because probiotics have an anti-inflammatory effect and can modulate the gut microbiota profile, they can be used as a biotherapy for inflammatory intestinal diseases. In this study, we isolated Streptococcus thermophilus strain 7 (ST7) from cow milk and examined the effect of heat-inactivated ST7 on the intestinal histopathological score, inflammatory cytokine levels, T-cell activation and effector function, and microbiome profile in a mouse model with intestinal injury induced by polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly I:C), a Toll-like receptor 3 agonist. The results indicated that ST7 treatment prevented weight loss and intestinal injury and prevented the upregulation of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α, and IL-15 levels in intestinal epithelial cells; prevented the upregulation of inflammation-associated Gammaproteobacteria and Alistipes; and increased the levels of Firmicutes in fecal microbiota after poly I:C stimulation. ST7 treatment also increased the serum interferon-γ (IFN-γ) level and promoted the expression of IFN-γ in both CD8 and CD4 T cells. In summary, ST7 prevented the inflammatory response, promoted the T-cell effector function, and modulated the microbiota profile of mice with poly I:C-induced small intestine injury. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gut Microbiome and Functional Foods)
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Review

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31 pages, 2631 KiB  
Review
The Networked Interaction between Probiotics and Intestine in Health and Disease: A Promising Success Story
by Maria Skoufou, Christina Tsigalou, Stergios Vradelis and Eugenia Bezirtzoglou
Microorganisms 2024, 12(1), 194; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12010194 - 18 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1452
Abstract
Probiotics are known to promote human health either precautionary in healthy individuals or therapeutically in patients suffering from certain ailments. Although this knowledge was empirical in past tomes, modern science has already verified it and expanded it to new limits. These microorganisms can [...] Read more.
Probiotics are known to promote human health either precautionary in healthy individuals or therapeutically in patients suffering from certain ailments. Although this knowledge was empirical in past tomes, modern science has already verified it and expanded it to new limits. These microorganisms can be found in nature in various foods such as dairy products or in supplements formulated for clinical or preventive use. The current review examines the different mechanisms of action of the probiotic strains and how they interact with the organism of the host. Emphasis is put on the clinical therapeutic use of these beneficial microorganisms in various clinical conditions of the human gastrointestinal tract. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and particularly any malfunction and inflammation of the intestines seriously compromise the health of the whole organism. The interaction between the probiotic strains and the host’s microbiota can alleviate the clinical signs and symptoms while in some cases, in due course, it can intervene in the underlying pathology. Various safety issues of the use of probiotics are also discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gut Microbiome and Functional Foods)
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