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Foods
Special Issues
Functional Foods and Their Benefits for Health Regulation
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Functional Foods and Their Benefits for Health Regulation

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods, and Novel Foods".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 December 2024) | Viewed by 5571

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Fuhua Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
Interests: polyphenols; dietary fibers; cell models; gut microbiota
Dr. Lingrong Wen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
Interests: food science; plant-based foods; functional ingredients; evaluation of biological activities

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to delve into the intricate relationship between bioactive compounds (especially polyphenols and dietary fiber), their new analogues and role in chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. The focus is on the significant role of functional foods in health regulation.

Bioactive compounds found in various edible and non-edible parts of plant-based foods and their analogues have garnered attention for their potential health-promoting properties and wide-ranging sources. This Special Issue seeks to unravel the specific ways in which these bioactive compounds influence the regulation of chronic diseases.

I invite scholars and researchers to contribute original papers that explore the diverse aspects of natural bioactive compounds (especially but not only polyphenols and dietary fiber) or their analogues in the context of T2DM, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. The emphasis is on shedding light on their mechanisms of action from the perspectives of gut microbiota, digestive enzymes (α-amylase, α-glucosidase, pancreatic lipase), intestinal absorption, and transportation, as well as other relevant factors.

Additionally, contributors are also encouraged to investigate the interaction between these compounds and and other nutrients, offering valuable insights that can inform dietary interventions and lifestyle modifications.

Dr. Fuhua Li
Dr. Lingrong Wen
Guest Editors

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. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2900 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 compounds
  • interaction
  • gut microbiota
  • intestinal absorption and transportation
  • digestive enzymes

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 28989 KiB  
Article
In Vitro Evaluation of Probiotic Activities and Anti-Obesity Effects of Enterococcus faecalis EF-1 in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet
by Hongying Cai, Qingya Wang, Xiling Han, Haiou Zhang, Na Wang, Yuyin Huang, Peilong Yang, Rui Zhang and Kun Meng
Foods 2024, 13(24), 4095; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13244095 - 18 Dec 2024
Viewed by 280
Abstract
This research sought to assess the anti-obesity potential of Enterococcus faecalis EF-1. An extensive and robust in vitro methodology confirmed EF-1’s significant potential in combating obesity, probably due to its excellent gastrointestinal tract adaptability, cholesterol-lowering property, bile salt hydrolase activity, α-glucosidase inhibition, and [...] Read more.
This research sought to assess the anti-obesity potential of Enterococcus faecalis EF-1. An extensive and robust in vitro methodology confirmed EF-1’s significant potential in combating obesity, probably due to its excellent gastrointestinal tract adaptability, cholesterol-lowering property, bile salt hydrolase activity, α-glucosidase inhibition, and fatty acid absorption ability. Moreover, EF-1 exhibited antimicrobial activity against several pathogenic strains, lacked hemolytic activity, and was sensitive to all antibiotics tested. To further investigate EF-1’s anti-obesity properties in vivo, a high-fat diet (HFD) was used to induce obesity in C57BL/6J mice. Treatment with EF-1 (2 × 109 CFU/day) mitigated HFD-induced body weight gain, reduced adipose tissue weight, and preserved liver function. EF-1 also ameliorated obesity-associated microbiota imbalances, such as decreasing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and boosting the levels of bacteria (Faecalibacterium, Mucispirillum, Desulfovibrio, Bacteroides, and Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group), which are responsible for the generation of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Concurrently, the levels of total SCFAs were elevated. Thus, following comprehensive safety and efficacy assessments in vitro and in vivo, our results demonstrate that E. faecalis EF-1 inhibits HFD-induced obesity through the regulation of gut microbiota and enhancing SCFA production. This strain appears to be a highly promising candidate for anti-obesity therapeutics or functional foods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Foods and Their Benefits for Health Regulation)
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21 pages, 7629 KiB  
Article
Synthesis of Ganoderic Acids Loaded Zein-Chitosan Nanoparticles and Evaluation of Their Hepatoprotective Effect on Mice Given Excessive Alcohol
by Yingjia Cao, Yuheng Yang, Zihua Liang, Weiling Guo, Xucong Lv, Li Ni and Youting Chen
Foods 2024, 13(17), 2760; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13172760 - 29 Aug 2024
Viewed by 940
Abstract
Ganoderma lucidum, used in East Asia for its health benefits, contains ganoderic acids (GA) which have various pharmacological activities but are limited by poor water solubility and low oral bioaccessibility. This study synthesized and characterized ganoderic acids loaded zein-chitosan nanoparticles (GA-NPs), and [...] Read more.
Ganoderma lucidum, used in East Asia for its health benefits, contains ganoderic acids (GA) which have various pharmacological activities but are limited by poor water solubility and low oral bioaccessibility. This study synthesized and characterized ganoderic acids loaded zein-chitosan nanoparticles (GA-NPs), and investigated its advantages in alleviating alcoholic liver injury (ALI) in mice model. The GA-NPs demonstrated high encapsulation efficiency (92.68%), small particle size (177.20 nm), and a +29.53 mV zeta potential. The experimental results of alcohol-induced liver injury mouse model showed that GA-NPs significantly improved liver metabolic function, reduced alcohol-induced liver oxidative stress in liver by decreasing lactate dehydrogenase activity and malondialdehyde level, while increasing the activities of liver antioxidant enzymes and alcohol dehydrogenase. Moreover, GA-NPs were favorable to ameliorate intestinal microbiota dysbiosis in mice exposed to alcohol by increasing the proportion of probiotics such as Romboutsia, Faecalibaculum, Bifidobacterium and Turicibacter, etc., which were highly correlated with the improvement of liver function. Furthermore, GA-NPs modulated the mRNA expression related to ethanol metabolism, oxidative stress and lipid metabolism. Conclusively, this study revealed that GA-NPs have stronger hepatoprotective effects than non-encapsulated ganoderic acids on alleviating ALI by regulating intestinal microbiota and liver metabolism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Foods and Their Benefits for Health Regulation)
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14 pages, 5179 KiB  
Article
Terpinen-4-ol Improves Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Macrophage Inflammation by Regulating Glutamine Metabolism
by Yanhui Liu, Xin Tang, Huazhen Zhang, Linyan Zheng, Ping Lai, Chang Guo, Jingfan Ma, Hongbo Chen and Longxin Qiu
Foods 2024, 13(12), 1842; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13121842 - 12 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1227
Abstract
Terpinen-4-ol (T-4-O) is an important component of tea tree oil and has anti-inflammatory effects. Currently, there are very few studies on the mechanisms by which T-4-O improves lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced macrophage inflammation. In this study, LPS-stimulated mouse RAW264.7 macrophages were used as a model [...] Read more.
Terpinen-4-ol (T-4-O) is an important component of tea tree oil and has anti-inflammatory effects. Currently, there are very few studies on the mechanisms by which T-4-O improves lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced macrophage inflammation. In this study, LPS-stimulated mouse RAW264.7 macrophages were used as a model to analyze the effects of T-4-O on macrophage inflammatory factors and related metabolic pathways in an inflammatory environment. The results showed that T-4-O significantly decreased the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines induced by LPS. Cellular metabolism results showed that T-4-O significantly decreased the ratio of the extracellular acidification rate and oxygen consumption rate. Non-targeted metabolomics results showed that T-4-O mainly affected glutamine and glutamate metabolism and glycine, serine, and threonine metabolic pathways. qPCR results showed that T-4-O increased the transcript levels of GLS and GDH and promoted glutamine catabolism. Western blotting results showed that T-4-O inhibited the mTOR and IκB, thereby decreasing NF-κB activity. The overall results showed that T-4-O inhibited mTOR phosphorylation to promote glutamine metabolism and increased cell oxidative phosphorylation levels, thereby inhibiting the expression of LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Foods and Their Benefits for Health Regulation)
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17 pages, 2971 KiB  
Article
From Epimedium to Neuroprotection: Exploring the Potential of Wushanicaritin
by Donghui Luo, Dingding Shi and Lingrong Wen
Foods 2024, 13(10), 1493; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13101493 - 11 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 939
Abstract
Epimedium has been used for functional foods with many beneficial functions to human health. Wushanicaritin is one of the most important chemicals int Epimedium. This study investigated the neuroprotective effects of wushanicaritin and potential underlying mechanisms. The results demonstrated that wushanicaritin possessed [...] Read more.
Epimedium has been used for functional foods with many beneficial functions to human health. Wushanicaritin is one of the most important chemicals int Epimedium. This study investigated the neuroprotective effects of wushanicaritin and potential underlying mechanisms. The results demonstrated that wushanicaritin possessed superior intercellular antioxidant activity compared to icaritin. Wushanicaritin, with an EC50 value of 3.87 μM, showed better neuroprotective effect than quercetin, a promising neuroprotection agent. Wushanicaritin significantly reversed lactate dehydrogenase release, reactive oxygen species generation, cell apoptosis, and mRNA expression related to cell apoptosis and oxidative defense, in glutamate-induced PC-12 cells. Wushanicaritin could also maintain the enzymatic antioxidant defense system and mitochondrial function. The suppression of caspase-3 activation and amelioration of mitochondrial membrane potential loss and nucleus morphology changes were involved in the antiapoptotic effect of wushanicaritin. These findings suggested that wushanicaritin possesses excellent intercellular antioxidant and neuroprotective activities, showing potential promise in functional foods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Foods and Their Benefits for Health Regulation)
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Review

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16 pages, 2325 KiB  
Review
Structure–Activity Relationships and Changes in the Inhibition of Xanthine Oxidase by Polyphenols: A Review
by Kexin Li, Yumei Wang, Wanlu Liu, Chengfeng Zhang, Yu Xi, Yanv Zhou, He Li and Xinqi Liu
Foods 2024, 13(15), 2365; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13152365 - 26 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1516
Abstract
Hyperuricemia (HUA), or elevated uric acid in the blood, has become more prevalent in recent years. Polyphenols, which are known to have good inhibitory activity on xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR), are effective in uric acid reduction. In this review, we address the structure–activity relationship [...] Read more.
Hyperuricemia (HUA), or elevated uric acid in the blood, has become more prevalent in recent years. Polyphenols, which are known to have good inhibitory activity on xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR), are effective in uric acid reduction. In this review, we address the structure–activity relationship of flavonoids that inhibit XOR activity from two perspectives: the key residues of XOR and the structural properties of flavonoids. Flavonoids’ inhibitory effect is enhanced by their hydroxyl, methoxy, and planar structures, whereas glycosylation dramatically reduces their activity. The flavonoid structure–activity relationship informed subsequent discussions of the changes that occur in polyphenols’ XOR inhibitory activity during their extraction, processing, gastrointestinal digestion, absorption, and interactions. Furthermore, gastrointestinal digestion and heat treatment during processing can boost the inhibition of XOR. Polyphenols with comparable structures may have a synergistic effect, and their synergy with allopurinol thus provides a promising future research direction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Foods and Their Benefits for Health Regulation)
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