Nutrients

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a prevalent and heterogeneous functional gastrointestinal disorder with a complex and multifactorial pathophysiology. Traditional treatment approaches have focused on symptom relief, often overlooking the underlying biological mechanisms driving the disease. Τhis review summarizes the current evidence linking core pathophysiological pathways of IBS with mechanism- and diet- based therapeutic strategies to guide personalized treatment. Serotonergic signaling, microbial dysbiosis, immune activation, epithelial barrier dysfunction, and bile acid malabsorption interact to shape the diverse phenotypes of IBS, contributing to altered motility, visceral hypersensitivity, and gut-brain axis dysregulation. Increasing evidence supports that targeted dietary and biological interventions including low-FODMAP and Mediterranean low-FODMAP diets, targeted use of probiotics and psychobiotics, and vitamin D supplementation can modulate microbial composition, reduce luminal irritants, support barrier integrity, and attenuate immune system activation. Similarly, pharmacologic therapies including serotonergic receptor modulators, bile acid sequestrants and neuroimmune agents act on specific mechanistic pathways, reflecting a shift from symptom-based to mechanism-driven management. Collectively, these findings highlight that integrating dietary, microbial, neuroimmune, and serotonergic modulation within a unified therapeutic framework can support a more rational and individualized approach to IBS management and long term symptom control.

Background: Royal jelly is a protein-rich honeybee secretion that is used in the nutrition of larvae and adult queens. Previous studies have reported that royal jelly had induced pro-cognitive, anxiolytic, and antidepressant-like effects in laboratory rats. Since serotonin (5-HT), noradrenaline, and dopamine play an important role in the control of several mental functions, changes in the excitability of monoaminergic neurons may be involved in the mechanisms of the behavioral and neurochemical effects of royal jelly. The present study aimed to test this hypothesis. Methods: Adult male Wistar rats were treated with royal jelly for two weeks. Thereafter, their cognitive performance was evaluated using the novel object recognition (NOR) test. The excitability of monoaminergic neurons was assessed using in vivo single-unit extracellular electrophysiology. Results: We found that rats treated with royal jelly had a higher recognition index in the NOR test and a higher burst activity of dopaminergic neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) compared to the vehicle-treated controls. The firing activities of 5-HT neurons of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) and the noradrenergic neurons of the locus coeruleus (LC) were not altered. Conclusions: We conclude that the pro-cognitive effect of royal jelly is mediated, at least in part, by mechanisms involving the excitability of mesolimbic dopaminergic neurons. The present findings encourage further research towards the improvement of the safety and efficacy of currently available therapies for cognitive dysfunction.

The immune system plays a pivotal role in the progression of tumors. Recent advancements in immunotherapies, notably CAR-T cell therapy and checkpoint inhibitors, have markedly improved clinical outcomes. However, a significant proportion of patients continue to experience treatment resistance, posing a persistent and formidable challenge. The gut microbiota has been established as a critical determinant of responses to immunotherapy. Enriched with bioactive components such as polysaccharides, (poly)phenols, and flavonoids, edible and medicinal plants (EMPs) exhibit significant potential to enhance host immunity by reshaping the gut microbiota, increasing the production of microbiota-derived metabolites (e.g., short-chain fatty acids), strengthening the intestinal barrier, and reducing intestinal inflammation. The bioactive components derived from EMPs not only demonstrate substantial pharmacological activities but also serve dual roles: functioning either as inherent drug carriers or as effective modifiers for existing carrier systems, which facilitates targeted drug delivery to specific sites such as the liver and intestinal, enhancing therapeutic efficacy. In summary, this review highlights that bioactive components from EMPs hold significant promise for enhancing cancer immunotherapy by modulating complex interactions with the gut microbiota.