Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences（JCR Q1, 中科院二区，IF=6.113）

Research Topic：

Prebiotics and Probiotics in Functional Food Production and its Metabolism

Abstract Submission Deadline 31 March 2023

Manuscript Submission Deadline 31 July 2023

Probiotics are living functional microorganisms that widely exist in fermented foods and dietary supplements, as well as the human gut microbiota. They could confer extensive health benefits on the host like relief from lactose intolerance and promotion of nutrient absorption. Moreover, probiotics also significantly affect the development and performance of the immune system, including adjustment of the human microecology imbalance, metabolites production with improved pathogenic antagonism, etc. The physiological functions of probiotics mainly include the following three aspects: (1) functionality regulation of the gastrointestinal tract; (2) enhancement of the immune system; (3) mitigation or prevention of food allergy.

Prebiotics are non-viable food components that bypass digestion and enter the colon to selectively stimulate the growth and/or activity of probiotics. Probiotics have been extensively studied and explored commercially in the food and nutrition fields, including dairy products, meat products, health food, functional food, etc., reflecting the diversity of probiotics’ functions and their wide applications. In the future, probiotics will become an important and viable ingredient in functional foods.

The mechanisms by which probiotics exert biological effects are still poorly understood, this Research Topic aims to cover recent advances in prebiotics and probiotics in functional food production and its metabolism. We accept all types of manuscript submissions, including Original Research, Review, Hypothesis and Theory, Methods, Mini-Review, and Perspective. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following themes:

(1) The metabolism of probiotics causes the acidic environment in the intestine, regulates, and promotes intestinal peristalsis;

(2) The immunomodulatory function of probiotics by activating macrophages, improving the expression level of anti-inflammatory cytokines, and enhancing the activities of natural killer cells and immunoglobulins;

(3) Probiotics could enhance the endogenous barrier mechanism of patients with atopic dermatitis and food allergy, thereby improving food allergy;

(4) Prebiotics promote the growth and reproduction of intestinal beneficial bacteria in the body;

(5) Probiotic metabolism in the fermentation of food.

Keywords: Culture, Isolation and screening, Fermentation, Metabolic, Gut microbiota, Purification

Topic Editors：

Prof. Zufang Wu, 

Prof. Xianghui Qi

Dr. Cheng Lu