Submit to Nutrients Review for Nutrients Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

The Cutting Edge in Brain Foods: Understanding How Food Components Improve Brain Function at the Molecular and System Level

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 February 2023) | Viewed by 13536

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Shigeki Furuya

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Laboratory of Functional Genomics and Metabolism, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
Interests: cognitive function; food protein/peptide; genetic amino acid deficiency; neurodevelopmental disorder; psychiatric disorder; serine synthetic pathway; soy components

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The normal functioning of the brain requires a variety of low molecular weight metabolites, which act directly on proteins or serve as precursors for the synthesis of various structural and functional components in the brain. Many of them are derived from the food we eat. In addition, there are cases where components in the food are transported or permeate into the brain even though they are not endogenous to the brain. Epidemiological studies have pointed out that dietary habits and patterns may influence the onset and symptoms of various neurological disorders. It has been suggested that there are potential "brain foods" that can improve brain function and enhance brain health, but few of them have a clear scientific basis, especially the mechanism of action at the molecular level. On the other hand, with the advancement of molecular analysis technology, we can now begin to study the mechanistic relationship between dietary factors and the brain function at the molecular level using higher resolution techniques than previously. Clarifying the ways in which various food components are metabolized in the gastrointestinal tract, absorbed from the small intestine and lymphatic system, how they alter the brain metabolism and gene expression, and the connection between their molecular effects and behavioral phenotypes will be of great importance for the prevention, inhibition, and treatment of many neurological disorders, including dementia and mood disorders, through dietary factors. This will provide information and opportunities to contribute to prevention, progression control, and symptom alleviation of brain diseases through dietary factors.

This Special Issue, “The cutting Edge in Brain Foods: Understanding How Food Components Improve Brain Function at the Molecular and System Level”, welcomes manuscripts related to animal and human studies focused on how dietary and other edible factors influence brain metabolomes, microbiomes, proteomes, and transcriptomes, as well as higher brain functions. These include studies aimed at elucidating the potential actions of dietary factors on brain at the molecular and/or system level. Experimental papers, review articles, and commentaries are all welcome.

Prof. Dr. Shigeki Furuya
Guest Editor

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

Alzheimer’s
brain-gut axis
cognition
diets
dietary pattern
depression/mood disorders
dementia
environmental factors
genomics
glia
inflammation
maternal factors
metabolites
microbiota
mild cognitive impairment
neuron
neurotransmitter
oxidative stress
Parkinson’s disease
traditional foods
vitamins

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

18 pages, 5122 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bioinformatics Analysis of the Molecular Networks Associated with the Amelioration of Aberrant Gene Expression by a Tyr–Trp Dipeptide in Brains Treated with the Amyloid-β Peptide

by Momoko Hamano, Takashi Ichinose, Tokio Yasuda, Tomoko Ishijima, Shinji Okada, Keiko Abe, Kosuke Tashiro and Shigeki Furuya

Nutrients 2023, 15(12), 2731; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15122731 - 13 Jun 2023

Viewed by 1260

Abstract

Short-chain peptides derived from various protein sources have been shown to exhibit diverse bio-modulatory and health-promoting effects in animal experiments and human trials. We recently reported that the oral administration of the Tyr–Trp (YW) dipeptide to mice markedly enhances noradrenaline metabolism in the brain and ameliorates the working-memory deficits induced by the β-amyloid 25–35 peptide (Aβ_25–35). In the current study, we performed multiple bioinformatics analyses of microarray data from Aβ_25–35/YW-treated brains to determine the mechanism underlying the action of YW in the brain and to infer the molecular mechanisms and networks involved in the protective effect of YW in the brain. We found that YW not only reversed inflammation-related responses but also activated various molecular networks involving a transcriptional regulatory system, which is mediated by the CREB binding protein (CBP), EGR-family proteins, ELK1, and PPAR, and the calcium-signaling pathway, oxidative stress tolerance, and an enzyme involved in de novo l-serine synthesis in brains treated with Aβ_25–35. This study revealed that YW has a neuroprotective effect against Aβ_25–35 neuropathy, suggesting that YW is a new functional-food-material peptide. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Cutting Edge in Brain Foods: Understanding How Food Components Improve Brain Function at the Molecular and System Level)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 1387 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Molecular Mechanisms for the Carnosine-Induced Activation of Muscle–Brain Interaction

by Asuka Ishibashi, Miyako Udono, Mikako Sato and Yoshinori Katakura

Nutrients 2023, 15(6), 1479; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15061479 - 19 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1980

Abstract

Carnosine is known to improve brain function. The molecular basis for the carnosine-mediated interaction between intestinal cells and neuronal cells is that carnosine acts on intestinal cells and stimulates exosome secretion, which can induce neurite outgrowth in neuronal cells. This study aimed to infer the carnosine-mediated interaction between muscle cells and neuronal cells. The results revealed that carnosine induces muscle cell differentiation, as well as the secretion of exosomes and myokines that can act on neuronal cells. Carnosine acts not only on intestinal cells but also on muscle cells, stimulating the secretion of secretory factors including exosomes that induce neurite outgrowth in neuronal cells, as well as myokines known to be involved in neuronal cell activation. As the miRNAs in exosomes secreted from intestinal cells and muscle cells upon carnosine treatment are different, it could be assumed that carnosine acts on each cell to interact with neuronal cell through separate factors and mechanisms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Cutting Edge in Brain Foods: Understanding How Food Components Improve Brain Function at the Molecular and System Level)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 2794 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Curcumae Radix Decreases Neurodegenerative Markers through Glycolysis Decrease and TCA Cycle Activation

by Seong-Lae Jo, Hyun Yang, Sang R. Lee, Jun H. Heo, Hye-Won Lee and Eui-Ju Hong

Nutrients 2022, 14(8), 1587; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14081587 - 11 Apr 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2355

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases (ND) are being increasingly studied owing to the increasing proportion of the aging population. Several potential compounds are examined to prevent neurodegenerative diseases, including Curcumae radix, which is known to be beneficial for inflammatory conditions, metabolic syndrome, and various types of pain. However, it is not well studied, and its influence on energy metabolism in ND is unclear. We focused on the relationship between ND and energy metabolism using Curcumae radix extract (CRE) in cells and animal models. We monitored neurodegenerative markers and metabolic indicators using Western blotting and qRT-PCR and then assessed cellular glycolysis and metabolic flux assays. The levels of Alzheimer’s disease-related markers in mouse brains were reduced after treatment with the CRE. We confirmed that neurodegenerative markers decreased in the cerebrum and brain tumor cells following low endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress markers. Furthermore, glycolysis related genes and the extracellular acidification rate decreased after treatment with the CRE. Interestingly, we found that the CRE exposed mouse brain and cells had increased mitochondrial Tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and Oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) related genes in the CRE group. Curcumae radix may act as a metabolic modulator of brain health and help treat and prevent ND involving mitochondrial dysfunction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Cutting Edge in Brain Foods: Understanding How Food Components Improve Brain Function at the Molecular and System Level)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

20 pages, 574 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Role of Diet and Dietary Patterns in Parkinson’s Disease

by Emily Knight, Thangiah Geetha, Donna Burnett and Jeganathan Ramesh Babu

Nutrients 2022, 14(21), 4472; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14214472 - 25 Oct 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 7078

Abstract

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with diminished nutrition status and decreased quality of life. While the prevalence of PD is expected to increase, no preventative or curative therapy for PD exists at this time. Although nutrition and diet represent modifiable risk factors for reducing chronic disease risk, research on the impact of single nutrients on PD has yielded mixed results. As a result, this single-nutrient approach may be the driving force behind the inconsistency, and a holistic dietary approach may overcome this inconsistency by accounting for the interactions between nutrients. The following review aims to examine the impact of a generally healthy dietary pattern, the protein-restricted diet (PRD), the ketogenic diet (KD), the Mediterranean diet (MD), and the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet on PD risk, progression, and severity. While most of the included studies support the role of diet and dietary patterns in reducing the risk of PD or alleviating PD severity, the inconsistent results and need for further evidence necessitate more research being conducted before making dietary recommendations. Research on the potential beneficial effects of dietary patterns on PD should also investigate potential risks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Cutting Edge in Brain Foods: Understanding How Food Components Improve Brain Function at the Molecular and System Level)

► Show Figures