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Nutrients
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Gut Microbiota in Components of Grain and Host Health
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Gut Microbiota in Components of Grain and Host Health

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Carbohydrates".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2026 | Viewed by 4291

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Qun Shen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: whole grain; phytochemicals; obesity; diabetes; health benefits; synergistic or antagonistic action
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yong Xue

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: gut microbiota; diabetes; cardiovascular diseases; resistance protein; diet intervention
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Grain are a primary source of plant-based food for human consumption. Components such as carbohydrates (resistant starch and dietary fiber), proteins, lipids, and phytochemicals in grains are closely linked to glucose and lipid metabolism, colorectal cancer, and other diseases. With evolving lifestyles and dietary patterns, significant changes have occurred in the processing methods and refinement levels of grains, profoundly impacting the intake of beneficial components and the accumulation of harmful substances. Particularly, the widespread prevalence of 'civilization diseases' in developing countries has prompted increased research attention on the relationship between the components in grains and human health. Resistant starch, dietary fiber, bound polyphenols, peptides, and polyunsaturated fatty acids in grains exhibit significant interplay with host health through gut microbiota and their metabolites. Elucidating the critical role of gut microbiota in how components in grains influence host health will contribute to the scientific utilization of grains for promoting human well-being. This Special Issue focuses on how grains and their key components affect host health through gut microbiota. We welcome submissions from researchers around the world.

Prof. Dr. Qun Shen
Dr. Yong Xue
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2900 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

  • grain nutrition
  • gut microbiota
  • short-chain fatty acids
  • indole derivatives
  • diabetes
  • obesity
  • colorectal cancer

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

21 pages, 2950 KB  
Article
Effects of Dietary Highland Barley at Different Inclusion Levels on Normobaric Hypoxia Tolerance, Oxidative Stress, Energy Metabolism, and Gut Microbiota in Mice
by Liangxing Zhao, Luman Sang, Yan Liu, Baicheng Lai, Qingyu Zhao, Liang Zou and Qun Shen
Nutrients 2026, 18(4), 659; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18040659 - 17 Feb 2026
Viewed by 539
Abstract
Background: Normobaric acute hypoxia models are widely applied to assess tolerance to acute hypoxic stress. Highland barley is a cereal crop originating from and traditionally cultivated in high-altitude regions; however, the dose–response relationship underlying its effects on hypoxia tolerance remains unclear. Methods: Male [...] Read more.
Background: Normobaric acute hypoxia models are widely applied to assess tolerance to acute hypoxic stress. Highland barley is a cereal crop originating from and traditionally cultivated in high-altitude regions; however, the dose–response relationship underlying its effects on hypoxia tolerance remains unclear. Methods: Male ICR mice were randomly allocated to five groups (n = 8 per group) and fed an AIN-93M basal diet or experimental diets supplemented with 20%, 40%, 60%, or 80% highland barley for 13 weeks. Hypoxia survival time was evaluated using a normobaric asphyxial hypoxia model, in which oxygen is progressively depleted in a sealed chamber by continuous respiration with carbon dioxide absorbed by soda lime. Hematological parameters, indices of oxidative stress and energy metabolism, and gut microbiota composition were also assessed. Results: Compared with the control group, dietary supplementation with 20% highland barley was associated with a longer hypoxia survival time (mean difference: 9.49 min; 95% CI: −2.05 to 21.02), whereas the 80% group exhibited the shortest survival time (approximately 40.6 min). In the 20% group, red blood cell count and hemoglobin concentration increased by 41.6% and 42.1%, respectively. ATP content and superoxide dismutase activity in brain tissue increased by 33.2% and 28.4%, respectively, with similar trends observed in heart tissue. In addition, gut microbiota α-diversity was increased in the 20% highland barley group, and distinct separation of microbial community structures was observed among groups receiving different supplementation levels. Conclusions: Overall, the data suggest that moderate dietary supplementation with highland barley (20%) is associated with a favorable physiological and microbiota profile under normobaric asphyxial hypoxic challenge, suggesting the presence of a potentially effective intake range for highland barley-based nutritional intervention. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gut Microbiota in Components of Grain and Host Health)
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