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Nutrients
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Diet–Host–Gut Microbiota Interactions and Human Health
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Diet–Host–Gut Microbiota Interactions and Human Health

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Prebiotics and Probiotics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 3657

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Naisi Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Public Health and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Tufts University, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, USA
Interests: gut microbiome; tissue microbiome; cancer; DNA methylation; multi-omics; OMICs-based biomarker
Dr. Guojun Wu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center for Microbiome, Nutrition, and Health, New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
Interests: gut microbiome; bioinformatics; microbe-microbe interactions; microbiota-targeted intervention; multi-omics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The intricate relationship between diet, the host, and the gut microbiota is a rapidly evolving field of study with significant implications for human health. Numerous factors, including dietary intake, genetic predispositions, lifestyle choices, and environmental exposures, influence the diet–host–gut microbiota axis. Emerging evidence suggests that the composition and function of the gut microbiota can be modulated through diet, which in turn can affect the host's metabolic, immune, and neuropsychological outcomes. Understanding these interactions is crucial for developing targeted dietary interventions that promote health and prevent disease. This Special Issue invites contributions exploring complex interactions within the diet–host–gut microbiota axis. We welcome original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and meta-analyses that provide new insights into how diet influences gut microbiota composition and function and how these changes impact human health. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The role of specific dietary components (e.g., fibers, polyphenols, prebiotics, probiotics) in shaping the gut microbiota.
  • The role of the gut microbiota in the metabolism of dietary nutrients and the production of bioactive compounds.
  • The impact of dietary patterns and interventions (including community-based interventions) on gut microbiota composition and function in various populations.
  • The interaction between genetic factors and gut microbiota in mediating dietary effects on health.
  • The potential for personalized nutrition approaches based on gut microbiota profiles.
  • Methodology that supports the investigation of complex interactions between microbial features and their interactions with host phenotypes

Authors are encouraged to submit original research, narrative reviews, and systematic reviews that synthesize the current knowledge in this dynamic field. We look forward to your valuable contributions to this Special Issue, which aims to advance our understanding of the diet–host–gut microbiota interactions and their implications for human health.

Dr. Naisi Zhao
Dr. Guojun Wu
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. Nutrients 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

  • diet–gut microbiota interaction
  • host–microbiome relationship
  • microbiome-targeted dietary interventions
  • gut microbiota metabolism
  • personalized nutrition
  • genetic factors and gut microbiota
  • microbial features and host phenotypes

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1776 KiB  
Article
Effects of Betaine and Polydextrose on Intestinal Microbiota and Liver Ergothioneine in a High-Fat Diet-Fed Mouse Model and a Human Colonic Simulation Model
by Markku T. Saarinen, Sofia D. Forssten, Kara Evans, Kaisa Airaksinen, Rasmus Telving, Bettina Høj Hornshøj, Henrik Max Jensen, Jenna Jokkala, Kati Hanhineva and Kirsti Tiihonen
Nutrients 2025, 17(1), 109; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17010109 - 30 Dec 2024
Viewed by 574
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Ergothioneine (EGT) is an effective antioxidant that animals cannot produce and has an important anti-inflammatory role in cell protection, which can help lower the risk of various diseases. In this study, we investigated the potential role of gut microbiota in the production [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Ergothioneine (EGT) is an effective antioxidant that animals cannot produce and has an important anti-inflammatory role in cell protection, which can help lower the risk of various diseases. In this study, we investigated the potential role of gut microbiota in the production of EGT, which was found to increase in the mouse liver after dietary supplementation with betaine (BET) or polydextrose (PDX). Methods: The effects of BET and PDX on the gut microbiota and tissue EGT content were investigated using a diet-induced obese mouse model and simulated fermentation in the human colon. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 8 weeks to induce obesity and related metabolic disorders, and for the last 4 weeks of this study, the mice continued on the same diet, supplemented with BET, PDX, or their combination. The potential function of BET and PDX in microbial EGT production was further studied in an in vitro human colon model. Results: The quantity of Bifidobacterium spp. and Bacteroidota were significantly higher in the feces of mice on diets supplemented with PDX or BET + PDX, and Enterobacteriaceae levels were significantly higher in PDX-supplemented mice than in HFD-fed mice. Untargeted metabolomic analysis of the liver revealed a significant increase in EGT in mice fed HFDs with BET or BET + PDX. Microbial analysis from samples collected from the human in vitro model showed significant changes in Neglecta timonensis, Blautia faecis, Lachnospiracea incertae sedis, Faecalibacillus, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia species, along with an increase in microbial metabolites, namely, acetic, propionic and butyric acids, and a decrease in 2-methylbutyric acid. Conclusions: Although PDX and BET or their combination affected microbial composition and metabolites in the human colon simulation model, the model used was not able to detect a significant change in microbiota-based EGT production and, therefore, could not explain the increase in EGT in the liver of betaine-fed mice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet–Host–Gut Microbiota Interactions and Human Health)
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15 pages, 1844 KiB  
Article
Sex Differences in Gut Microbiota and Their Relation to Arterial Stiffness (MIVAS Study)
by Rita Salvado, Cristina Lugones-Sánchez, Sandra Santos-Minguez, Susana González-Sánchez, José A. Quesada, Rocío Benito, Emiliano Rodríguez-Sánchez, Manuel A. Gómez-Marcos, Pedro Guimarães-Cunha, Jesús M. Hernandez-Rivas, Alex Mira, Luis García-Ortiz and MIVAS Investigators
Nutrients 2025, 17(1), 53; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17010053 - 27 Dec 2024
Viewed by 586
Abstract
Background: Recent research highlights the potential role of sex-specific variations in cardiovascular disease. The gut microbiome has been shown to differ between the sexes in patients with cardiovascular risk factors. Objectives: The main objective of this study is to analyze the differences between [...] Read more.
Background: Recent research highlights the potential role of sex-specific variations in cardiovascular disease. The gut microbiome has been shown to differ between the sexes in patients with cardiovascular risk factors. Objectives: The main objective of this study is to analyze the differences between women and men in the relationship between gut microbiota and measures of arterial stiffness. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in Spain, selecting 180 subjects (122 women, 58 men) aged between 45 and 74. Subjects with arterial stiffness were identified by the presence of at least one of the following: carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) above 12 mm/s, cardio–ankle vascular index (CAVI) above nine, or brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity (ba-PWV) above 17.5 m/s. All other cases were considered subjects without arterial stiffness. The composition of the gut microbiome in fecal samples was determined by 16S rRNA sequencing. Results: We found that women have a more diverse microbiome than men (Shannon, p < 0.05). There is also a significant difference in gut microbiota composition between sexes (Bray–Curtis, p < 0.01). Dorea, Roseburia, and Agathobacter, all of them short-chain fatty-acid producers, were more abundant in women’s microbiota (log values > 1, p-value and FDR < 0.05). Additionally, Blautia was more abundant in women when only the subjects with arterial stiffness were considered. According to logistic regression, Roseburia was negatively associated with arterial stiffness in men, while Bifidobacterium and Subdoligranulum were positively related to arterial stiffness. Conclusions: In the Spanish population under study, women had higher microbiome diversity and potentially protective genera. The host’s gender determines the influence of the same bacteria on arterial stiffness. Trial Registration Number: NCT03900338. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet–Host–Gut Microbiota Interactions and Human Health)
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15 pages, 5013 KiB  
Article
Development and Validation of a Self-Administered Semiquantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire Focused on Gut Microbiota: The Stance4Health-FFQ
by Annarita Formisano, Marika Dello Russo, Paola Russo, Alfonso Siani, Daniel Hinojosa-Nogueira, Beatriz Navajas-Porras, Ángela Toledano-Marín, Silvia Pastoriza, Telmo Blasco, Alberto Lerma-Aguilera, María Pilar Francino, Francisco Javier Planes, Verónica González-Vigil, José Ángel Rufián-Henares and Fabio Lauria
Nutrients 2024, 16(23), 4064; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16234064 - 26 Nov 2024
Viewed by 797
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Diet significantly influences gut microbiota (GM), with variations in GM responses linked to the type and quantity of food consumed. These variations underscore the need for personalized nutrition. The Stance4Health (S4H) project developed the S4H Food Frequency Questionnaire (S4H-FFQ) and the [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Diet significantly influences gut microbiota (GM), with variations in GM responses linked to the type and quantity of food consumed. These variations underscore the need for personalized nutrition. The Stance4Health (S4H) project developed the S4H Food Frequency Questionnaire (S4H-FFQ) and the i-Diet S4H app to assess dietary intake of foods affecting GM. This study aimed to validate the S4H-FFQ against the validated I.Family-FFQ and the i-Diet S4H app; Methods: The S4H-FFQ, with 200 food items across 14 food groups, evaluates dietary intake over the past month. Qualitative validation compared food group consumption frequencies from the S4H-FFQ and the I.Family-FFQ, while quantitative validation assessed nutrient and energy intake using the i-Diet S4H app. The S4H-GM score, a measure of GM-relevant food consumption, was evaluated through the S4H-FFQ and i-Diet S4H app; Results: Pearson correlations between the S4H-FFQ and the I.Family-FFQ ranged from 0.3 to 0.7 and were statistically significant across all the food groups. Quantitative validation showed lower but consistent correlations, comparable with other studies, confirming the S4H-FFQ’s ability to estimate food intake. A positive correlation was also found between the S4H-GM scores from the S4H-FFQ and the i-Diet S4H app (p < 0.001); Conclusions: The S4H-FFQ is a reliable tool for assessing dietary patterns that influence GM. Its application in nutritional studies can enhance personalized nutrition and support future research aimed at optimizing GM and improving health outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet–Host–Gut Microbiota Interactions and Human Health)
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14 pages, 1809 KiB  
Article
Association of Gut Microbiota Composition with Stunting Incidence in Children under Five in Jakarta Slums
by Ratnayani, Badriul Hegar, Diana Sunardi, Fadilah Fadilah, Hartono Gunardi, Umi Fahmida and Dhanasari Vidiawati
Nutrients 2024, 16(20), 3444; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16203444 - 11 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1193
Abstract
Background: Stunting can be linked to various factors, one of which is dysbiosis. This study aims to analyze the microbiota composition and related contributing factors of stunted and non-stunted children in the slum areas of Jakarta. Methods: The subjects in this study included [...] Read more.
Background: Stunting can be linked to various factors, one of which is dysbiosis. This study aims to analyze the microbiota composition and related contributing factors of stunted and non-stunted children in the slum areas of Jakarta. Methods: The subjects in this study included 21 stunted (HAZ ≤ −2SD) and 21 non-stunted children (−2SD ≤ HAZ ≤ 3SD) aged 2–5 years. Microbiota analysis was performed by extracting DNA from the subjects’ feces and then via 16S rRNA sequencing using next-generation sequencing (NGS). Results: The results of this study showed that in stunted children, the abundance of Mitsuokella (24,469 OTUs), Alloprevotella (23,952 OTUs), and Providencia alcalifaciens (861 OTUs) was higher, while in non-stunted children, that of Blautia (29,755 OTUs), Lachnospiraceae (6134 OTUs), Bilophila (12,417 OTUs), Monoglobus (484 OTUs), Akkermansia muciniphila (1116 OTUs), Odoribacter splanchnicus (42,993 OTUs), and Bacteroides clarus (8900 OTUs) was higher. Differences in microbiota composition in the two groups were influenced by nutrient intake, birth history, breastfeeding history, handwashing habits before eating, drinking water sources, and water sources for other activities. Conclusions: This study highlights that stunted children have a significantly different gut microbiota composition compared to non-stunted children, with higher levels of pathogenic bacteria and lower levels of beneficial bacteria. Future research should focus on interventions that can improve the gut microbiota composition to prevent stunting in children. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet–Host–Gut Microbiota Interactions and Human Health)
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