Herbs and Spices: Modulation of Gut Microbiota for Healthy Aging

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear Redactors,

 

Thank you very much for the opportunity to revise the article „Herbs and Spices: Modulation of Gut Microbiota for Healthy Aging”.

 

The article is very interesting, addressing herbs and spices potential role in modulating the gut microbiome as a therapeutic strategy for healthy aging and longevity is essential.

The article is well written and I just recommend to describe the role of polyphenols in more details.

Thanks

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,
We sincerely appreciate your valuable feedback in order to improve our manuscript. Please find the attached files for your reference. 

Sincerely, Kavita 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Abstract:

·         It could be more specific about which herbs and spices were studied and their specific bioactive constituents. It could benefit from a more focused introduction to the particular contribution of herbs and spices to this field, emphasizing the novelty and importance of the current study.

·         A succinct description of the study type (clinical trial, in vitro study, etc.) might give readers a quick rundown of the consequences and research strategy.

1. Introduction

·         A minor redundancy in the phrase "have been used have been utilized" should be corrected for better clarity and professionalism.

·         More recent research or meta-analyses that offer a wider viewpoint on the state of knowledge on the subject could be helpful to add.

·         A brief explanation of the particular herbs and spices that the study will concentrate on would benefit the introduction.

2. Gut Microbiota

·         More information on the processes via which gut microbiota affect the story would be beneficial. To be more precise, explaining the signaling pathways and molecular interactions would improve the reader's comprehension of this difficult topic.

·         Although the section highlights the significance of gut microbiota with a number of studies, additional current, high-impact research may be included to make sure the overview includes the most recent developments in the area. This would increase the manuscript's legitimacy and provide the facts to present a more solid context.

·         A discussion of the methodological issues and concerns with gut microbiota research would be beneficial. A more balanced view and an acknowledgment of the limits of existing research might be provided by addressing these elements, given the complexity and variety of gut microbiota between people.          

·         Although future study directions are mentioned, they might be broadened to cover new and developing areas of interest, such as the function of gut microbiota in personalized medicine or the possibility of developing innovative medicines based on bacteria. Outlining these paths would both complete the part and serve as an inspiration for further studies.

·         Some technical descriptions in the section could benefit from further clarification or simplification for readers who may not be experts in microbiology or gastroenterology. Ensuring that complex concepts are accessible to a broader audience without diluting the scientific content is crucial for a review manuscript.

3. Aging and age-related changes in gut microbiota

·         Although the literature discusses how aging affects gut microbiota and vice versa, it does not provide specific mechanistic explanations of how these changes interact at the molecular level. Additional information regarding the precise routes and processes would strengthen the case.

·         The authors must be more explicit when comparing research involving human participants with animal models. Distinguishing between them can help readers evaluate the findings' application and usefulness.

·         A more thorough examination of particular dietary therapies that have demonstrated potential in modifying gut microbiota to support healthy aging will enhance this section. Although spices and herbs are addressed, a more thorough explanation might be given by going into greater detail about other dietary components.

·         Authors may discuss the significant inter-individual heterogeneity in the makeup of the gut microbiota and how this impacts the generalizability of the results.

4. Dietary interventions for modulation of gut microbiota

·         This section would benefit from a more structured analysis of previous research. Even though it lists a variety of herbs and spices, readers might benefit from a systematic presentation of the evidence—possibly in the form of a table—to improve accessibility and clarity.

·         The beneficial aspects appear to be overemphasized, with insufficient attention paid to any potential drawbacks or adverse impacts on gut microbiota from specific dietary components. Acknowledging and addressing these factors would achieve a more balanced perspective.

5. mTOR signaling pathway and gut microbiota

 

·         While the section hints at the potential for targeting the mTOR pathway in disease, it could more explicitly discuss the therapeutic implications of modulating this pathway via gut microbiota interventions, especially in the context of aging and age-related diseases.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The English is generally well-written and understandable. There are a few minor issues with grammar and syntax, but they do not significantly hinder comprehension. The text demonstrates a good command of academic language and presents information clearly.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,
We sincerely appreciate your valuable feedback in order to improve our manuscript. Please find the attached files for your reference. 

Sincerely, Kavita 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Thank you very much to the authors for the effort put into the following article. However, several changes should be made to make the work reliable and more understandable.

 

1. The purpose of the review and its limitations should be added.

2. There are punctuation errors and double spaces in the work, please correct. E.g. line 186.

3. The herbs described in the article are very briefly discussed, please expand the information about them.

4. All names of bacteria should be written in italics. Missing, for example, line 255.

5. Line 233: IBD is not age related like T2D etc. There are various factors indicating etiology therefore suggests deleting 231-234.

6.The authors should consider adding a summary table - the effect of herbs and their effect on a particular type of microorganism.

7.References should be adapted to the requirements of the journal.

 

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Minor editing of English language required

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,
We sincerely appreciate your valuable feedback in order to improve our manuscript. Please find the attached files for your reference. 

Sincerely, Kavita 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 4 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The aim of this work was to study the role of herbs and spices in therapies for healthy aging and longevity by modulating the gut microbiome. The topic of the manuscript fits the scope of Gastroenterology Insights. Therefore, I think that this manuscript is interesting and could be acceptable for its publication. However, before publishing, the authors must improve text and supplement it for missing data:

-          Please, no abbreviations should appear in the abstract.

-          Please review the authors' guide. The abstract should not exceed 200 words.

-          The abbreviation "mTOR" would be the abbreviation for the keyword.

-          Review manuscripts in this journal should comprise a graphical abstract.

-          Lines 37-40. The paragraph is repetitive because if it is intestinal microbiota, logically they are microbes that live in the gastrointestinal tract. Please remove “residing in our gastrointestinal (GI) tract, primarily within 39 the small and large intestines”.

-          Line 40. The GM is not considered, for the time being, an organ.

-          Line 45. When we talk about microbiota we refer to "diversity", not makeup.

-          Lines 47-57. In this paragraph there are many statements that should be accompanied by their corresponding cites.

-          Line 68. Please abbreviate "gut microbiota" as in all other cases.

-          Line 74. Please, add a cite.

-          Line 90. Please, remove “shaping”.

-          Line 93 and 106. Please change “gut microbiota” for “GM”.

-          Abbreviations such as “ENS”, as they only appear once, are not abbreviated.

-          Lines 114-115. As for the phyla, the majority are mainly Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, therefore the first ones should be named and then the rest of the phyla.

-          Line 124. GBA has been abbreviated before. Anyway, if it only appears twice in the text, it is better not to abbreviate it. Abbreviations are used for words that appear many times in the text.

-          Lines 174 and 209. SCFA has been abbreviated before

-          Line 186. Clinical trials? Please include more references.

-          Line 255. Helicobacter pylori, Clostridium perfringens, and Escherichia coli are written in italics.

-          Lines 261 and 283. In vitro and in vivo are write in italics.

-          Line 277. Please, insert a citation.

-          The conclusions are too extensive. Please try to synthesize them and leave only the clearest ideas.

-          In the section on author contributions, more names appear than in the authors of the article.

-          Please review the authors' guide. The bibliographic references are not correct. Journal Articles: Author 1, A.B.; Author 2, C.D. Title of the article. Abbreviated Journal Name Year, Volume, page range.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,
We sincerely appreciate your valuable feedback in order to improve our manuscript. Please find the attached files for your reference. 

Sincerely, Kavita 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

After applying the corrections, the article became reliable and readable.