Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.3
5.5
Journals
Biomolecules
Special Issues
Nutrition, Metabolism, and Obesity: Novel Strategies and Molecular Mechanisms—Future Perspectives
share announcement

Nutrition, Metabolism, and Obesity: Novel Strategies and Molecular Mechanisms—Future Perspectives

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024 | Viewed by 8089

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Marion Korach-André

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Gene Technology, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health (CBH), KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Karolinska Institute Science Park, SE-171 21 Solna, Sweden
Interests: lipid metabolism; lipidomic; sex differences; sex hormones; nutrition; metabolic syndrome
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Obesity is a significant public health concern due to its close link with metabolic comorbidities, such as type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, liver diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. Evidence suggests that excessive or inappropriate nutrient intake triggers chronic inflammatory responses in tissues that regulate metabolic homeostasis, leading to altered metabolic pathways, insulin resistance, and systemic metabolic dysfunction. Nutritional interventions have emerged as effective strategies for managing obesity and associated metabolic disorders.

In this Special Issue, we aim to cover the molecular significance of both macro- and micro-nutrients, as well as the current dietary recommendations. We will explore the primary metabolic pathways and molecular mechanisms in which each nutrient plays a role, and their contribution to the development of obesity and/or metabolic diseases. Importantly, gut microbiota are crucial in regulating the metabolic response to nutrient intake. As such, we aim to gain a mechanistic understanding of how nutrients and the intestinal microbiota may contribute to the metabolic health of the human host. By doing so, we hope to shed light on the pathogenesis of various common metabolic disorders including, but not limited to, obesity, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic liver disease, cardiometabolic diseases and malnutrition.

This Special Issue will focus on novel strategies and molecular mechanisms, as well as nutritional approaches to tackle obesity and its associated metabolic disturbances.

This Special Issue of the Biomolecules Journal, entitled “Nutrition, Metabolism, and Obesity: Novel Strategies and Molecular Mechanisms—Future Perspectives”, aims to solicit original research papers or review articles on the current state of research in this field, including both discovery and preclinical studies.

We look forward to your contributions to this research field.

Dr. Marion Korach-André
Guest Editor

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. Biomolecules 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

  • diet
  • nutrients
  • obesity
  • inflammation
  • fat
  • glucose intolerance
  • insulin resistance
  • fatty liver disease
  • metabolic syndrome

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

30 pages, 9872 KiB  
Article
Bariatric Surgery Induces Alterations in the Immune Profile of Peripheral Blood T Cells
by Pedro Barbosa, Aryane Pinho, André Lázaro, Diogo Paula, José G. Tralhão, Artur Paiva, Maria J. Pereira, Eugenia Carvalho and Paula Laranjeira
Biomolecules 2024, 14(2), 219; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14020219 - 12 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1492
Abstract
Low-grade inflammation is closely linked to obesity and obesity-related comorbidities; therefore, immune cells have become an important topic in obesity research. Here, we performed a deep phenotypic characterization of circulating T cells in people with obesity, using flow cytometry. Forty-one individuals with obesity [...] Read more.
Low-grade inflammation is closely linked to obesity and obesity-related comorbidities; therefore, immune cells have become an important topic in obesity research. Here, we performed a deep phenotypic characterization of circulating T cells in people with obesity, using flow cytometry. Forty-one individuals with obesity (OB) and clinical criteria for bariatric surgery were enrolled in this study. We identified and quantified 44 different circulating T cell subsets and assessed their activation status and the expression of immune-checkpoint molecules, immediately before (T1) and 7–18 months after (T2) the bariatric surgery. Twelve age- and sex-matched healthy individuals (nOB) were also recruited. The OB participants showed higher leukocyte counts and a higher percentage of neutrophils. The percentage of circulating Th1 cells were negatively correlated to HbA1c and insulin levels. OB Th1 cells displayed a higher activation status and lower PD-1 expression. The percentage of Th17 and Th1/17 cells were increased in OB, whereas the CD4+ Tregs’ percentage was decreased. Interestingly, a higher proportion of OB CD4+ Tregs were polarized toward Th1- and Th1/17-like cells and expressed higher levels of CCR5. Bariatric surgery induced the recovery of CD4+ Treg cell levels and the expansion and activation of Tfh and B cells. Our results show alterations in the distribution and phenotype of circulating T cells from OB people, including activation markers and immune-checkpoint proteins, demonstrating that different metabolic profiles are associated to distinct immune profiles, and both are modulated by bariatric surgery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition, Metabolism, and Obesity: Novel Strategies and Molecular Mechanisms—Future Perspectives)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 4482 KiB  
Article
Integrated Analysis of Gut Microbiome and Adipose Transcriptome Reveals Beneficial Effects of Resistant Dextrin from Wheat Starch on Insulin Resistance in Kunming Mice
by Xinyang Chen, Yinchen Hou, Aimei Liao, Long Pan, Shengru Yang, Yingying Liu, Jingjing Wang, Yingchun Xue, Mingyi Zhang, Zhitong Zhu and Jihong Huang
Biomolecules 2024, 14(2), 186; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14020186 - 04 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1323
Abstract
Systemic chronic inflammation is recognized as a significant contributor to the development of obesity-related insulin resistance. Previous studies have revealed the physiological benefits of resistant dextrin (RD), including obesity reduction, lower fasting glucose levels, and anti-inflammation. The present study investigated the effects of [...] Read more.
Systemic chronic inflammation is recognized as a significant contributor to the development of obesity-related insulin resistance. Previous studies have revealed the physiological benefits of resistant dextrin (RD), including obesity reduction, lower fasting glucose levels, and anti-inflammation. The present study investigated the effects of RD intervention on insulin resistance (IR) in Kunming mice, expounding the mechanisms through the gut microbiome and transcriptome of white adipose. In this eight-week study, we investigated changes in tissue weight, glucose–lipid metabolism levels, serum inflammation levels, and lesions of epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) evaluated via Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining. Moreover, we analyzed the gut microbiota composition and transcriptome of eWAT to assess the potential protective effects of RD intervention. Compared with a high-fat, high-sugar diet (HFHSD) group, the RD intervention significantly enhanced glucose homeostasis (e.g., AUC-OGTT, HOMA-IR, p < 0.001), and reduced lipid metabolism (e.g., TG, LDL-C, p < 0.001) and serum inflammation levels (e.g., IL-1β, IL-6, p < 0.001). The RD intervention also led to changes in the gut microbiota composition, with an increase in the abundance of probiotics (e.g., Parabacteroides, Faecalibaculum, and Muribaculum, p < 0.05) and a decrease in harmful bacteria (Colidextribacter, p < 0.05). Moreover, the RD intervention had a noticeable effect on the gene transcription profile of eWAT, and KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that differential genes were enriched in PI3K/AKT, AMPK, in glucose-lipid metabolism, and in the regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes signaling pathways. The findings demonstrated that RD not only ameliorated IR, but also remodeled the gut microbiota and modified the transcriptome profile of eWAT. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition, Metabolism, and Obesity: Novel Strategies and Molecular Mechanisms—Future Perspectives)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

12 pages, 3180 KiB  
Article
Effect of Metformin Treatment on Serum Metabolic Profile Changes in Lean and Obese Zucker Rat Model for Fatty Liver Disease
by Stepan Melnyk and Reza Hakkak
Biomolecules 2023, 13(8), 1234; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13081234 - 10 Aug 2023
Viewed by 937
Abstract
Excessive weight and obesity are the leading risk factors for the development of chronic diseases, including diabetes. Metformin is capable of significantly improving coexisting complications of diabetes. We used a metabolomics approach to examine the effects of metformin administration on lean and obese [...] Read more.
Excessive weight and obesity are the leading risk factors for the development of chronic diseases, including diabetes. Metformin is capable of significantly improving coexisting complications of diabetes. We used a metabolomics approach to examine the effects of metformin administration on lean and obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats. After 1 week of acclimation, twenty-eight 5-week-old female lean and obese rats were randomly assigned to and maintained in the following four groups (seven rats/group) for 10 weeks: (1) lean control (LC); (2) obese control (OC); (3) lean metformin (LM); and (4) obese metformin (OM). At the end of 10 weeks, serum was collected and analyzed using HPLC with electrochemical detection, HPLC with UV detection, and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. We selected 50 metabolites’ peaks that were shared by all four groups of rats. Peak heights, as a defining factor, generally decreased in metformin-treated lean rats vs. untreated lean controls (3 LM:16 LC). Peak heights generally increased in metformin-treated obese rats vs. untreated obese controls (14 OM:5 OC). Overall, individual peaks were distributed as 11 that represented only lean rats, 11 that represented only obese rats, and 8 that were common among both lean and obese rats. In future studies, we will use a targeted metabolomics approach to identify those metabolites, map them to biochemical pathways and create a list of biomarkers. In summary, the current study contributed to a better understanding of the basic metabolic changes of lean and obese rats and demonstrated that both obesity and metformin make a significant impact on the metabolome of Zucker rats. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition, Metabolism, and Obesity: Novel Strategies and Molecular Mechanisms—Future Perspectives)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

56 pages, 3906 KiB  
Review
Metabolic Syndrome and Biotherapeutic Activity of Dairy (Cow and Buffalo) Milk Proteins and Peptides: Fast Food-Induced Obesity Perspective—A Narrative Review
by Kenbon Beyene Abdisa, Emőke Szerdahelyi, Máté András Molnár, László Friedrich, Zoltán Lakner, András Koris, Attila Toth and Arijit Nath
Biomolecules 2024, 14(4), 478; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14040478 - 14 Apr 2024
Viewed by 667
Abstract
Metabolic syndrome (MS) is defined by the outcome of interconnected metabolic factors that directly increase the prevalence of obesity and other metabolic diseases. Currently, obesity is considered one of the most relevant topics of discussion because an epidemic heave of the incidence of [...] Read more.
Metabolic syndrome (MS) is defined by the outcome of interconnected metabolic factors that directly increase the prevalence of obesity and other metabolic diseases. Currently, obesity is considered one of the most relevant topics of discussion because an epidemic heave of the incidence of obesity in both developing and underdeveloped countries has been reached. According to the World Obesity Atlas 2023 report, 38% of the world population are presently either obese or overweight. One of the causes of obesity is an imbalance of energy intake and energy expenditure, where nutritional imbalance due to consumption of high-calorie fast foods play a pivotal role. The dynamic interactions among different risk factors of obesity are highly complex; however, the underpinnings of hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia for obesity incidence are recognized. Fast foods, primarily composed of soluble carbohydrates, non-nutritive artificial sweeteners, saturated fats, and complexes of macronutrients (protein-carbohydrate, starch-lipid, starch-lipid-protein) provide high metabolic calories. Several experimental studies have pointed out that dairy proteins and peptides may modulate the activities of risk factors of obesity. To justify the results precisely, peptides from dairy milk proteins were synthesized under in vitro conditions and their contributions to biomarkers of obesity were assessed. Comprehensive information about the impact of proteins and peptides from dairy milks on fast food-induced obesity is presented in this narrative review article. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition, Metabolism, and Obesity: Novel Strategies and Molecular Mechanisms—Future Perspectives)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 2445 KiB  
Review
Polyphenols: Role in Modulating Immune Function and Obesity
by Md Abdullah Al Mamun, Ahmed Rakib, Mousumi Mandal, Santosh Kumar, Bhupesh Singla and Udai P. Singh
Biomolecules 2024, 14(2), 221; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14020221 - 14 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1315
Abstract
Polyphenols, long-used components of medicinal plants, have drawn great interest in recent years as potential therapeutic agents because of their safety, efficacy, and wide range of biological effects. Approximately 75% of the world’s population still use plant-based medicinal compounds, indicating the ongoing significance [...] Read more.
Polyphenols, long-used components of medicinal plants, have drawn great interest in recent years as potential therapeutic agents because of their safety, efficacy, and wide range of biological effects. Approximately 75% of the world’s population still use plant-based medicinal compounds, indicating the ongoing significance of phytochemicals for human health. This study emphasizes the growing body of research investigating the anti-adipogenic and anti-obesity functions of polyphenols. The functions of polyphenols, including phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, glycosides, and phenolic acids, are distinct due to changes in chemical diversity and structural characteristics. This review methodically investigates the mechanisms by which naturally occurring polyphenols mediate obesity and metabolic function in immunomodulation. To this end, hormonal control of hunger has the potential to inhibit pro-obesity enzymes such as pancreatic lipase, the promotion of energy expenditure, and the modulation of adipocytokine production. Specifically, polyphenols affect insulin, a hormone that is essential for regulating blood sugar, and they also play a role, in part, in a complex web of factors that affect the progression of obesity. This review also explores the immunomodulatory properties of polyphenols, providing insight into their ability to improve immune function and the effects of polyphenols on gut health, improving the number of commensal bacteria, cytokine production suppression, and immune cell mediation, including natural killer cells and macrophages. Taken together, continuous studies are required to understand the prudent and precise mechanisms underlying polyphenols’ therapeutic potential in obesity and immunomodulation. In the interim, this review emphasizes a holistic approach to health and promotes the consumption of a wide range of foods and drinks high in polyphenols. This review lays the groundwork for future developments, indicating that the components of polyphenols and their derivatives may provide the answer to urgent worldwide health issues. This compilation of the body of knowledge paves the way for future discoveries in the global treatment of pressing health concerns in obesity and metabolic diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition, Metabolism, and Obesity: Novel Strategies and Molecular Mechanisms—Future Perspectives)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

27 pages, 2508 KiB  
Review
Trace Amine-Associated Receptors and Monoamine-Mediated Regulation of Insulin Secretion in Pancreatic Islets
by Anastasia N. Vaganova, Taisiia S. Shemyakova, Karina V. Lenskaia, Roman N. Rodionov, Charlotte Steenblock and Raul R. Gainetdinov
Biomolecules 2023, 13(11), 1618; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13111618 - 05 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1632
Abstract
Currently, metabolic syndrome treatment includes predominantly pharmacological symptom relief and complex lifestyle changes. Trace amines and their receptor systems modulate signaling pathways of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, which are involved in the pathogenesis of this disorder. Trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) is expressed [...] Read more.
Currently, metabolic syndrome treatment includes predominantly pharmacological symptom relief and complex lifestyle changes. Trace amines and their receptor systems modulate signaling pathways of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, which are involved in the pathogenesis of this disorder. Trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) is expressed in endocrine organs, and it was revealed that TAAR1 may regulate insulin secretion in pancreatic islet β-cells. For instance, accumulating data demonstrate the positive effect of TAAR1 agonists on the dynamics of metabolic syndrome progression and MetS-associated disease development. The role of other TAARs (TAAR2, TAAR5, TAAR6, TAAR8, and TAAR9) in the islet’s function is much less studied. In this review, we summarize the evidence of TAARs’ contribution to the metabolic syndrome pathogenesis and regulation of insulin secretion in pancreatic islets. Additionally, by the analysis of public transcriptomic data, we demonstrate that TAAR1 and other TAAR receptors are expressed in the pancreatic islets. We also explore associations between the expression of TAARs mRNA and other genes in studied samples and demonstrate the deregulation of TAARs’ functional associations in patients with metabolic diseases compared to healthy donors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition, Metabolism, and Obesity: Novel Strategies and Molecular Mechanisms—Future Perspectives)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-6
Back to TopTop