Bioactive Substances, Gut Microbiome, and Host Health

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Gut Microbiota".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2024 | Viewed by 1847

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Hunan Provincial Engineering Research Center of Applied Microbial Resources Development for Livestock and Poultry, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Interests: gut; microbiology; health; nutrition; immunity

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Guest Editor Assistant
State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Interests: fermentation quality; lactic acid bacteria; gut; microbiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The complex interactions occurring between gut microbes and the host are recognized as comprising one of the key factors regulating host health. With the developments in molecular tools and technologies, namely, metagenomics, metabolomics, and transcriptomics, the complex interactions that occur between the host and different microorganisms are gradually being explained. The dysregulation of the gut flora indicates that various pathways involved in immunity, energy, and lipid and glucose metabolism are compromised, leading to a range of diseases, such as obesity, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular diseases.

More and more studies have confirmed that a variety of bioactive substances can be used to maintain the health of the human host. Their roles include modulating the composition, diversity, and activity of the gut microbiota, improving the homeostasis of the gut microbiota and maintaining the integrity of the intestinal barrier, and participating in nutrient metabolism, immune regulation, and energy supply, directly or indirectly, through the activation or inhibition of multiple signaling pathways between the gut microbiota and the receptors of the host cells. This enhances the immune mechanism, regulates the energy balance, and helps the defense against pathogens.

In this Special Issue, we will focus on the effects of bioactive substances on the gut microbiome. We encourage you to submit your latest research results or review articles in order to contribute to the knowledge on the key role played by bioactive substances in regulating the gut microbiota. Topics can include:

  • The interaction between the gut microbiota and bioactive substances;
  • Gut microbiota dysbiosis and disease development;
  • The role of bioactive substances in regulating the gut microbiota;
  • The mechanisms of bioactive substances in nutrient metabolism and immune regulation;
  • The regulation of energy balance and immune mechanisms by the gut microbiota;
  • Prospects for applications of bioactive substances in the maintenance of human host health.

Prof. Dr. Gang Liu
Guest Editor

Dr. Tianwei Wang
Guest Editor Assistant

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. Microorganisms 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

  • bioactive substances
  • gut microbiome
  • immunity
  • metabolism
  • diseases
  • health

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

18 pages, 1711 KiB  
Review
The Modulatory Effects of Curcumin on the Gut Microbiota: A Potential Strategy for Disease Treatment and Health Promotion
by Junwen Zhu and Lan He
Microorganisms 2024, 12(4), 642; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12040642 - 23 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1595
Abstract
Curcumin (CUR) is a lipophilic natural polyphenol that can be isolated from the rhizome of turmeric. Studies have proposed that CUR possesses a variety of biological activities. Due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, CUR shows promise in the treatment of inflammatory bowel [...] Read more.
Curcumin (CUR) is a lipophilic natural polyphenol that can be isolated from the rhizome of turmeric. Studies have proposed that CUR possesses a variety of biological activities. Due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, CUR shows promise in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, while its anti-obesity effects make it a potential therapeutic agent in the management of obesity. In addition, curcumin’s ability to prevent atherosclerosis and its cardiovascular benefits further expand its potential application in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Nevertheless, owing to the limited bioavailability of CUR, it is difficult to validate its specific mechanism of action in the treatment of diseases. However, the restricted bioavailability of CUR makes it challenging to confirm its precise mode of action in disease treatment. Recent research indicates that the oral intake of curcumin may lead to elevated levels of residual curcumin in the gastrointestinal system, hinting at curcumin’s potential to directly influence gut microbiota. Furthermore, the ecological dysregulation of the gut microbiota has been shown to be critical in the pathogenesis of human diseases. This review summarizes the impact of gut dysbiosis on host health and the various ways in which curcumin modulates dysbiosis and ameliorates various diseases caused by it through the administration of curcumin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Substances, Gut Microbiome, and Host Health)
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