Interactions between Food Chemistry and Gut Microbiota

Dear Colleagues,

The gut microbiota contains tens of trillions of microbial cells, and its collective genome is predicted to be 100-fold greater than that of the human host. Recently, the significance of the relationship between the gut microbiota and host inflammation, obesity, and metabolic disease has been demonstrated. At birth, the human gut is sterile. The sterile infant gut is colonized by microbes acquired during and after birth. Food is the primary source of energy for gut microbes, and changes in host dietary patterns can result in rapid changes in the structure of the microbiota population. Each human’s gut microbiota is continuously shaped by their diet. The gut microbiota transforms dietary compounds into different bioactive metabolites in vivo and, in turn, food bioactive compounds have the potential ability to modulate the gut microbiota and offer benefits to the host. Furthermore, the impact of diet on the gut microbiota composition and function varies according to the type, quality, and origin of foods consumed. As a key modulator of gut microbiota composition, an optimal diet can encourage a healthy microbiota composition and help maintain the host gut barrier and immune functions. It is, for this reason, that understanding the relationship between food and the gut microbiota is vital, as well as its role in the host of metabolites derived from the microbial biotransformation of these food components.

Currently, a large number of research works are focusing on the influence of the content, structure, and bioavailability of foods on the gut microbiota as a mediator of the host's metabolism, as well as on the methodologies that can be employed to explore the gut microbial pathways of metabolism. However, our knowledge of the underlying mechanisms that link specific variations in the composition and function of the gut microbiota with food is still limited. This Special Issue is devoted to “Interactions Between Food Chemistry and Gut Microbiota”. It will cover a selection of current research topics, including but not limited to the following:

• The identification of specific microorganisms and enzymes involved in the modulation of gut microflora alteration and metabolic processes, particularly those associated with the metabolism of dietary components and some host-generated substances.
• The digestion, bioavailability, bioaccessibility, and transformation of bioactive compounds of the food matrix that affect the composition and function of the gut microbiota associated with host health and disease.
• Novel methodologies to explore the interactions between the gut microbiota, diet, and host.
• The molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the role of the gut microbiota in food tolerance and allergies.
• The development of functional food with beneficial impacts on gut health and the overall well-being of the host;
• Emerging technologies for food processing to improve its nutritional and bioactive compounds that have beneficial effects on the gut microbiota and metabolic syndrome.

Prof. Dr. Wei Li
Dr. Qiuqin Zhang
Dr. Di Zhao
Guest Editors

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