Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Its Microbial-Mediated Health Benefits

Dear Colleagues,

The journal Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643) is currently running a Special Issue entitled “Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Its Microbial-Mediated Health Benefits”, for which we are the Guest Editors. The Special Issue aims to build a solid platform to discuss the role of microorganisms in modulating the assimilation of the valuable nutrients and bioactive compounds that are carried by fruits and vegetables. Fermented plant matrices have been shown to have higher digestibility compared with the same unfermented matrices and to carry highly bioavailable nutrients and phytochemicals.  At gut level, the microbiota is responsible for a variety of metabolic activities, including the digestion of fruit and vegetables and the production of biologically active substances. On the other hand, the composition and functionality of gut microbiome are susceptible to the consumption of fruits and vegetables, which provide dietary fibres that promote the growth of beneficial microorganisms. Apart from dietary fibres, plant-based matrices also comprise a wide range of phytochemicals (e.g., phenolics, alkaloids, terpenoids, etc.) that are potentially capable of increasing or decreasing microbial abundance and rebalancing gut microbial homeostasis.

We invite you to contribute high-quality, original research and review papers on, but not limited to, the following: [i] the intake of fermented fruit and vegetable preparations and nutritional repercussions; [ii] investigation through in vitro models or in vivo into the role of probiotics in the digestion and intake of nutritional and bioactive components of fruit and vegetables; and [iii] the effects of fruit and vegetable consumption on the gut microbiome’s functionality and the resulting health implications.

Prof. Dr. Marco Gobbetti
Prof. Dr. Raffaella Di Cagno
Dr. Pasquale Filannino
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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