The Physiological Behaviors and Mechanisms of Probiotics for Digestive Health
A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Prebiotics and Probiotics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 10
Special Issue Editors
Interests: nanomedicine; phytomedicine; probiotics; bioactivity
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Probiotics, live microorganisms conferring health benefits to the host, play a pivotal role in maintaining digestive homeostasis. This Special Issue focuses on elucidating the physiological behaviors and underlying mechanisms through which probiotics modulate gut health, including their interactions with intestinal microbiota, enhancement of barrier function, immunoregulation, and production of bioactive metabolites. Key areas of exploration include strain-specific effects, molecular pathways involved in pathogen inhibition, and the crosstalk between probiotics and host epithelial/immune cells. Despite advances, gaps persist in understanding how transient colonization translates to sustained benefits, the role of the gut microenvironment (e.g., pH and oxygen levels) in probiotic efficacy, and personalized responses influenced by host genetics or baseline microbiota. This Special Issue encourages studies employing cutting-edge approaches (e.g., multi-omics, organoid models, or in vivo imaging) to decode context-dependent mechanisms and optimize probiotic applications for conditions like IBS, IBD, or antibiotic-associated dysbiosis. Submissions addressing translational challenges, such as strain viability in delivery systems or biomarkers for efficacy prediction, are encouraged. By integrating beneficial efficacy with mechanistic insights, this Special Issue aims to advance evidence-based probiotic therapies and precision nutrition strategies.
Dr. Yonglu Li
Prof. Dr. Qing Gu
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- probiotics
- digestive health
- intestinal microbiome
- microbiota modulation
- immunomodulation
- barrier function
- colonization
- adhesion
- postbiotics
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