Impact of Food and Bioactive Compounds on Metabolic Diseases

A special issue of Metabolites (ISSN 2218-1989). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2025 | Viewed by 3020

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Nutrition Science, Faculty of Nursing and Nutrition, University of Nagasaki, Nagasaki, Japan
Interests: food function; bioactive compounds (especially lipids); lipid absorption; gut microbiota; metabolic disease; metabolic syndrome
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Applied Biosciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, Aomori, Japan
Interests: food function; bioactive compounds (especially lipids, polyphenol, carotenoid); functional food; metabolic disease; metabolic syndrome; gut microbiota
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Metabolic diseases are a significant public health problem worldwide. Metabolic diseases include metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), leading to the development of cardiovascular disease. In recent years, technology for separating and purifying food components and analyzing biological various samples has improved dramatically, and numerous studies have discovered food factors and bioactive compounds that contribute to preventing and alleviating metabolic diseases. The accumulation of the above basic research knowledge is essential, and we believe that it will lead to the maintenance and promotion of human health.

Therefore, in this Special Issue of Metabolites, we invite research articles on the “Impact of Food and Bioactive Compounds on Metabolic Diseases” including in vitro studies using cultured cell lines, in vivo studies using animal models, and dietary intervention studies.

Dr. Bungo Shirouchi
Dr. Hayato Maeda
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • food factors
  • bioactive compounds
  • food function
  • metabolism
  • metabolites
  • gut microbiota (flora)
  • metabolic syndrome
  • metabolic diseases (disorders)

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 979 KiB  
Article
Dietary Cholest-4-en-3-one, a Cholesterol Metabolite of Gut Microbiota, Alleviates Hyperlipidemia, Hepatic Cholesterol Accumulation, and Hyperinsulinemia in Obese, Diabetic db/db Mice
by Mina Higuchi, Mai Okumura, Sarasa Mitsuta and Bungo Shirouchi
Metabolites 2024, 14(6), 321; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14060321 - 3 Jun 2024
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Abstract
Previous studies have shown that dietary cholest-4-en-3-one (4-cholestenone, 4-STN) exerts anti-obesity and lipid-lowering effects in mice. However, its underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In the present study, we evaluated whether 4-STN supplementation would protect obese diabetic db/db mice from obesity-related metabolic disorders. [...] Read more.
Previous studies have shown that dietary cholest-4-en-3-one (4-cholestenone, 4-STN) exerts anti-obesity and lipid-lowering effects in mice. However, its underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In the present study, we evaluated whether 4-STN supplementation would protect obese diabetic db/db mice from obesity-related metabolic disorders. After four weeks of feeding of a 0.25% 4-STN-containing diet, dietary 4-STN was found to have significantly alleviated hyperlipidemia, hepatic cholesterol accumulation, and hyperinsulinemia; however, the effect was not sufficient to improve hepatic triglyceride accumulation or obesity. Further analysis demonstrated that dietary 4-STN significantly increased the content of free fatty acids and neutral steroids in the feces of db/db mice, indicating that the alleviation of hyperlipidemia by 4-STN was due to an increase in lipid excretion. In addition, dietary 4-STN significantly reduced the levels of desmosterol, a cholesterol precursor, in the plasma but not in the liver, suggesting that normalization of cholesterol metabolism by 4-STN is partly attributable to the suppression of cholesterol synthesis in extrahepatic tissues. In addition, dietary 4-STN increased the plasma and hepatic levels of 4-STN metabolites cholestanol (5α-cholestan-3β-ol) and coprostanol (5β-cholestan-3β-ol). Our results show that dietary 4-STN alleviates obesity-related metabolic disorders, such as hyperlipidemia, hepatic cholesterol accumulation, and hyperinsulinemia, in db/db mice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Food and Bioactive Compounds on Metabolic Diseases)
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Review

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17 pages, 1024 KiB  
Review
The Effect of L-Carnitine on Critical Illnesses Such as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), and Hyperammonemia (HA)
by Bharti Sharma, Lee Schmidt, Cecilia Nguyen, Samantha Kiernan, Jacob Dexter-Meldrum, Zachary Kuschner, Scott Ellis, Navin D. Bhatia, George Agriantonis, Jennifer Whittington and Kate Twelker
Metabolites 2024, 14(7), 363; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14070363 - 27 Jun 2024
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Abstract
L-carnitine (LC) through diet is highly beneficial for critical patients. Studies have found that acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) can reduce cerebral edema and neurological complications in TBI patients. It significantly improves their neurobehavioral and neurocognitive functions. ALC has also been shown to have a neuroprotective [...] Read more.
L-carnitine (LC) through diet is highly beneficial for critical patients. Studies have found that acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) can reduce cerebral edema and neurological complications in TBI patients. It significantly improves their neurobehavioral and neurocognitive functions. ALC has also been shown to have a neuroprotective effect in cases of global and focal cerebral ischemia. Moreover, it is an effective agent in reducing nephrotoxicity by suppressing downstream mitochondrial fragmentation. LC can reduce the severity of renal ischemia-reperfusion injury, renal cast formation, tubular necrosis, iron accumulation in the tubular epithelium, CK activity, urea levels, Cr levels, and MDA levels and restore the function of enzymes such as SOD, catalase, and GPx. LC can also be administered to patients with hyperammonemia (HA), as it can suppress ammonia levels. It is important to note, however, that LC levels are dysregulated in various conditions such as aging, cirrhosis, cardiomyopathy, malnutrition, sepsis, endocrine disorders, diabetes, trauma, starvation, obesity, and medication interactions. There is limited research on the effects of LC supplementation in critical illnesses such as TBI, AKI, and HA. This scarcity of studies highlights the need for further research in this area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Food and Bioactive Compounds on Metabolic Diseases)
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16 pages, 587 KiB  
Review
Can Daily Dietary Choices Have a Cardioprotective Effect? Food Compounds in the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiometabolic Diseases
by Elżbieta Szczepańska, Barbara Janota, Marika Wlazło and Magdalena Gacal
Metabolites 2024, 14(6), 296; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14060296 - 23 May 2024
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Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases accompanying metabolic syndrome comprise one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The medical community undertakes attempts to improve treatment options and minimize cardiovascular diseases’ numerous consequences and exacerbations. In parallel with pharmacotherapies provided by physicians, nutritionists are developing strategies for [...] Read more.
Cardiovascular diseases accompanying metabolic syndrome comprise one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The medical community undertakes attempts to improve treatment options and minimize cardiovascular diseases’ numerous consequences and exacerbations. In parallel with pharmacotherapies provided by physicians, nutritionists are developing strategies for diet therapy and prevention based on lifestyle changes, with high success rates. Consumption of specified food compounds included in various products with proven protective properties can be helpful in this regard. Due to the wide possibilities of diet in metabolic health promotion, it seems necessary to systematize information about the metabolically protective and cardioprotective properties of fiber, probiotic bacteria, plant sterols, folic acid, vitamins B12, C, and E, PUFAs, lycopene, polyphenols, arginine, CoQ10, and allicin. The aim of this review was to present the food compounds with potential use in cardiometabolic prevention and diet therapy based on the latest available literature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Food and Bioactive Compounds on Metabolic Diseases)
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