Plant Secondary Metabolites in Food: Absorption, Metabolism and Effects on Glucolipid Metabolism

Plant foods are a major part of the human diet. Besides major nutrients of protein and carbohydrate, plant foods also contain many secondary metabolites, such as polyphenols, saponin, terpenoid, etc. Although these phytochemicals are the minor components in food, they exhibit very important roles in food taste, nutrition, and physiological function. Epidemiological studies have shown that high consumption of fruits and vegetables is negatively associated with many chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Secondary metabolites are mainly responsible for these effects because modern studies revealed that they exhibit the bioactivities of anti-oxidative, anti-microbial, anti-tumor, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory activities, etc. However, many phytochemicals, particularly polyphenols, suffer from the shortcoming of poor bioavailability in vivo because of instability, low solubility, and/or permeability. Usually, absorption is the prerequisite of phytochemicals to exert most bioactivities in vivo. Hence, the strategy to improve their bioavailability is a hot topic in the study of nutrition.



In the food matrix, phytochemicals may also interact with the major components of protein, carbohydrate, and lipid through secondary bond. It is unclear how these interactions affect the physicochemical properties and bioavailability of phytochemicals. At present, the incidence of diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, and other disorders of glycolipid metabolism is on the rise, which has become a serious threat to people's health. Epidemiological studies have confirmed the positive effects of plant food on such chronic diseases. However, deeply revealing the regulation effects and mechanism of phytochemicals on glycolipid metabolism is in demand, particularly, based on their bioavailability and metabolism pattern in vivo.



The current Research Topic focuses on the studies about the absorption and metabolism of plant secondary metabolites as well as their effects on glucolipid metabolism. We welcome original research and review articles include (but are not limited to) the following contents:

(1) The absorption and metabolism of plant secondary metabolites in vivo;

(2) The strategies to improve the bioavailability of phytochemicals;

(3) The interaction of food components with phytochemicals and the effects on absorption;

(4) The effects of phytochemicals on glucolipid metabolism.