About this Research Topic

Background

Minerals have a pivotal functional and physiological role in the human body. This role includes key pathways as, constituting important human tissues, mediating the osmotic pressure of intercellular solution, maintaining the excitement of nerves and muscles, and participating in the physiological and biochemical activities of various substances in the body, etc. However, most of the global population still suffer from insufficient mineral intake and low absorption rate, which leads to the risk of related diseases. Mineral dietary deficiencies are mainly linked to poverty, dietary patterns, low dietary bioavailability, or other factors. For example, in the US, females especially those in the peak bone building years (ages 9 -18 years) and those over the age of 71, have the lowest calcium intakes. Only 15% of younger females and 39% of older women meet the calcium RDA (1000mg/kg), even when both dietary and supplemental sources of calcium are considered. Older men, (age 70 and over), do not fare as well, with nearly 70% not reaching the RDA. Dietary intake of bioactive compounds to improve the bioavailability of minerals is an effective and safe nutritional approach that shows promise to address dietary mineral deficiencies.

This Research Topic encourages articles that explore or prepare novel bioactive components in natural products with the goal to promote mineral bioavailability and prevent relevant diseases, which includes but is not limited to proteins/peptides, phytochemicals, vitamins, polysaccharides and prebiotics. Structure-activity relationships, intestinal behaviors, relevant disease prevention mechanisms, and dietary patterns are also the focuses in this topic. For instance, bioactive peptides with specific structures promoting mineral absorption and regulating gut health and ion channels are encouraged. Dissecting these scientific questions will provide critical and innovative insights into developing dietary preventative interventions and curative treatments for mineral deficiency. We hope that this special issue can build a communication platform for global scholars on mineral bioavailability studies, so that cooperative research can be carried out in the future to benefit people all over the world.

We welcome manuscripts of different types (e.g., Original Research, Perspectives, Mini Reviews, Commentaries and Opinion papers) from, but not limited to, the following subtopics:

• Preparation, characterization, and evaluation of bioactive components with mineral bioavailability promotion activity from natural products.

• Regulation of ion channels or other absorption pathways by dietary bioactive components and/or their metabolites in the context of mineral deficiency.

• The potential mechanisms for the treatment of related diseases caused by mineral deficiency by bioactive substances and their metabolites.

• Novel efficient and safe mineral delivery systems prepared by natural products and their treatments in mineral deficiency.

• Structure-activity relationship study and computer simulation technologies are encouraged to explore the universal structural features of components with high mineral bioavailability promotion activity.

Keywords: Dietary bioactive components; Structure-activity relationship; Mineral absorption pathways; Treatment mechanisms for mineral deficiency; Novel mineral delivery systems

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.

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