Prebiotics in the Management of Obesity and Associated Metabolic Disorders

  • 7,035

    Total downloads

  • 21k

    Total views and downloads

Submit your idea

Select the journal/section where you want your idea to be submitted:

Submit your manuscript summarySubmit your manuscript

About this Research Topic

Submission closed

Background

The prevalence of obesity and metabolic comorbidities has considerably increased worldwide over the past decades. Despite tremendous efforts to tackle obesity, current therapeutic approaches are disappointing and call for alternatives. Imbalanced gut microbiota or dysbiosis is thought to be a principal factor in the development of obesity and metabolic consequences as the cross-talk and cross-feeding interaction processes between the intestinal microbiota, the host, and the surrounding network of these bacteria contribute to regulating the immune system, inflammatory pathways, and energy homeostasis.

Nowadays, the approach of modulating the gut microbiota using oral supplementation with prebiotics has received the lion’s share of the attention for its beneficial effects on the management of obesity and associated metabolic disorders. Prebiotics are defined as “indigestible food ingredients fermented by gut microbes, that serve as a substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit”. However, recent attempts at increasing knowledge of intestinal microbiota have opened the door for novel prebiotic foods such as polyphenols, minerals or vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty.

Preclinical and clinical studies have reported the benefits of prebiotics in combatting obesity and metabolic abnormalities, through various mechanisms of action. However, the results are inconsistent and further studies, to correct conclusions are required. Moreover, the definition of prebiotics has been expanded to non-carbohydrate compounds, and our knowledge on the possible effects of these compounds on modulating dysbiosis process, and consequently, management of obesity and related metabolic abnormalities is still in infancy. Hence, further, properly designed animal and human trials are needed to evaluate whether non-carbohydrate compounds can confer health benefits on the host by modulating gut microbiota composition.

Personalized nutrition and precision medicine are beginning to influence the application of prebiotics, with growing interest in the modulation of microbial signatures of health and disease. There is evidence that microbial signatures are unique to individuals. Hence, due to the complexity of obesity pathogenesis, the need for further and in-detailed studies on the role of modulation of microbial signatures in the management of obesity and metabolic comorbidities (e.g., diabetes mellitus, fatty liver, and metabolic syndrome) are warranted.

This Research Topic aims to contribute to filling the gap in the knowledge about the role of prebiotic in preventing/treating obesity-related metabolic abnormalities.

Another issue that still needs clarification is an assessment of several non-carbohydrates, including micronutrients for modulating the intestinal microbiota aiming at alleviating the parameters associated with the development of metabolic disorders.

Here, we especially welcome studies that advance our knowledge on the impact of novel prebiotic foods and food ingredients on the prevention and treatment of obesity-associated metabolic disorders.
We hope that more detailed investigations would be conducted to confirm the efficacy of modulation of microbial signatures for the management of obesity and associated metabolic disorders and help develop promising approaches to better substantiate the health benefits required for market approval.

In this Research Topic, we welcome the submission of original research, review, or systematic review, and opinion that includes, but is not limited to, the following sub-topics/areas:

• The possible role of both “true” prebiotics” and “novel” ones - either individually or in combination - in cellular, molecular, psychological, physiological behavioral aspects of obesity and associated metabolic disorders both in preclinical and in clinical studies.
• Evaluation of efficacy of prebiotic food ingredients through safety studies conducted with clinical trials.
• Preoperative and postoperative assessment of oral supplementation with prebiotics in patients who have undergone bariatric surgery,
• Evaluating the impact of supplementation with prebiotics on weight regain after either bariatric surgery or a diet-induced loss

Keywords: weight management, obesity, microbiota, weight regain, prebiotics

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Topic editors

Frequently asked questions

  • Frontiers' Research Topics are collaborative hubs built around an emerging theme.Defined, managed, and led by renowned researchers, they bring communities together around a shared area of interest to stimulate collaboration and innovation.

    Unlike section journals, which serve established specialty communities, Research Topics are pioneer hubs, responding to the evolving scientific landscape and catering to new communities.

  • The goal of Frontiers' publishing program is to empower research communities to actively steer the course of scientific publishing. Our program was implemented as a three-part unit with fixed field journals, flexible specialty sections, and dynamically emerging Research Topics, connecting communities of different sizes and maturity.

    Research Topics originate from the scientific community. Many of our Research Topics are suggested by existing editorial board members who have identified critical challenges or areas of interest in their field.

  • As an editor, Research Topics will help you build your journal, as well as your community, around emerging, cutting-edge research. As research trailblazers, Research Topics attract high-quality submissions from leading experts all over the world.

    A thriving Research Topic can potentially evolve into a new specialty section if there is sustained interest and a growing community around it.

  • Each Research Topic must be approved by the specialty chief editor, and it falls under the editorial oversight of our editorial boards, supported by our in-house research integrity team. The same standards and rigorous peer review processes apply to articles published as part of a Research Topic as for any other article we publish.

    In 2023, 80% of the Research Topics we published were edited or co-edited by our editorial board members, who are already familiar with their journal's scope, ethos, and publishing model. All other topics are guest edited by leaders in their field, each vetted and formally approved by the specialty chief editor.

  • Publishing your article within a Research Topic with other related articles increases its discoverability and visibility, which can lead to more views, downloads, and citations. Research Topics grow dynamically as more published articles are added, causing frequent revisiting, and further visibility.

    As Research Topics are multidisciplinary, they are cross-listed in several fields and section journals – increasing your reach even more and giving you the chance to expand your network and collaborate with researchers in different fields, all focusing on expanding knowledge around the same important topic.

    Our larger Research Topics are also converted into ebooks and receive social media promotion from our digital marketing team.

     

  • Frontiers offers multiple article types, but it will depend on the field and section journals in which the Research Topic will be featured. The available article types for a Research Topic will appear in the drop-down menu during the submission process.

    Check available article types here 

  • Yes, we would love to hear your ideas for a topic. Most of our Research Topics are community-led and suggested by researchers in the field. Our in-house editorial team will contact you to talk about your idea and whether you’d like to edit the topic. If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. 

    Suggest your topic here 

  • A team of guest editors (called topic editors) lead their Research Topic. This editorial team oversees the entire process, from the initial topic proposal to calls for participation, the peer review, and final publications.

    The team may also include topic coordinators, who help the topic editors send calls for participation, liaise with topic editors on abstracts, and support contributing authors. In some cases, they can also be assigned as reviewers.

  • As a topic editor (TE), you will take the lead on all editorial decisions for the Research Topic, starting with defining its scope. This allows you to curate research around a topic that interests you, bring together different perspectives from leading researchers across different fields and shape the future of your field. 

     

    You will choose your team of co-editors, curate a list of potential authors, send calls for participation and oversee the peer review process, accepting or recommending rejection for each manuscript submitted.

  • As a topic editor, you're supported at every stage by our in-house team. You will be assigned a single point of contact to help you on both editorial and technical matters. Your topic is managed through our user-friendly online platform, and the peer review process is supported by our industry-first AI review assistant (AIRA).

  • If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. This provides you with valuable editorial experience, improving your ability to critically evaluate research articles and enhancing your understanding of the quality standards and requirements for scientific publishing, as well as the opportunity to discover new research in your field, and expand your professional network.

  • Yes, certificates can be issued on request. We are happy to provide a certificate for your contribution to editing a successful Research Topic.

  • Research Topics thrive on collaboration and their multi-disciplinary approach around emerging, cutting-edge themes, attract leading researchers from all over the world.

  • As a topic editor, you can set the timeline for your Research Topic, and we will work with you at your pace. Typically, Research Topics are online and open for submissions within a few weeks and remain open for participation for 6 – 12 months. Individual articles within a Research Topic are published as soon as they are ready.

    Find out more about our Research Topics

  • Our fee support program ensures that all articles that pass peer review, including those published in Research Topics, can benefit from open access – regardless of the author's field or funding situation.

    Authors and institutions with insufficient funding can apply for a discount on their publishing fees. A fee support application form is available on our website.

  • In line with our mission to promote healthy lives on a healthy planet, we do not provide printed materials. All our articles and ebooks are available under a CC-BY license, so you can share and print copies.

     

Participating Journals

Impact

  • 21kTopic views
  • 13kArticle views
  • 7,035Article downloads
View impact