About this Research Topic
Obesity rates have reached epidemic proportions globally. Obesity is one of the most important risk factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), musculoskeletal disorders, and certain cancers. Obesity and its comorbidities are primary healthcare challenges with significant societal and economic burdens. It is increasingly understood that the gut microbiome influences the development of obesity and associated disorders. Therefore, factors that determine gut microbiome composition and function including diet as the primary player should be further understood in order to develop scientifically based dietary strategies to manage obesity and associative conditions. Over the past decade, there has been a growing body of evidence that dietary strategies such as fermentable carbohydrates, prebiotics, and plant-based bioactive components benefit metabolic health in obese individuals and animals through the modulation of the gut microbiome. Consumption of certain microbial cultures (e.g. probiotics) and their products or components have also shown promise for decreased weight gain or improved obesity metabolic indicators.
However, the precise underlying mechanisms by which these dietary strategies improve the indicators of obesity and related complications remain largely unknown. Recent advances in molecular and high throughput omic technologies such as metagenomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics have led to the possibility of collecting a wealth of data to investigate the pathophysiology of obesity in breadth and depth, and to unveil the underlying mechanism of action of preventive or treatment strategies such as dietary approaches.
This call invites original research and reviews articles focusing on molecular or omics-assisted exploration of mechanisms by which dietary interventions could improve obesity markers through alterations in the gut microbiome in human subjects, animal models, or cell culture. The dietary interventions include but are not limited to fermentable carbohydrates, dietary fiber, prebiotics, other plant-based components, probiotics, microbial products, or fermented foods. The area of interest could include the neuroendocrine, immune, and metabolite interactions between the gut microbiome and gut tissue, and their links with the functions of further organs e.g., adipose tissue, liver, and brain at molecular levels in response to dietary interventions.
However, the precise underlying mechanisms by which these dietary strategies improve the indicators of obesity and related complications remain largely unknown. Recent advances in molecular and high throughput omic technologies such as metagenomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics have led to the possibility of collecting a wealth of data to investigate the pathophysiology of obesity in breadth and depth, and to unveil the underlying mechanism of action of preventive or treatment strategies such as dietary approaches.
This call invites original research and reviews articles focusing on molecular or omics-assisted exploration of mechanisms by which dietary interventions could improve obesity markers through alterations in the gut microbiome in human subjects, animal models, or cell culture. The dietary interventions include but are not limited to fermentable carbohydrates, dietary fiber, prebiotics, other plant-based components, probiotics, microbial products, or fermented foods. The area of interest could include the neuroendocrine, immune, and metabolite interactions between the gut microbiome and gut tissue, and their links with the functions of further organs e.g., adipose tissue, liver, and brain at molecular levels in response to dietary interventions.
Keywords: gut microbiome, diet, obesity, omics, Probiotics, Prebiotics, Fermentable carbohydrates, Pant bioactive components
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