Themed collection Food & Function HOT Articles 2026

Food-derived peptides (FDPs) are attracting increasing research attention for intervention in age-related sarcopenia due to their potential muscle-protective activity.

Glycolipid metabolism diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), are increasingly becoming a significant global public health burden.

Polyphenols and gut-derived metabolites modulate SCFAs, indoles, TMA, and neuroactive pathways, thereby shaping gut-brain communication in postmenopausal women facing hormonal decline, inflammation, metabolic changes, and polypharmacy.

Early in life, gut, immunity, growth, and brain development occur rapidly and vary considerably.

Probiotics exert health benefits through multifaceted interactions with the host, and accumulating evidence indicates that many of these effects are mediated by defined cell envelope-derived molecules rather than live bacteria per se.

Dietary bioactive compounds can ameliorate excessive lipid deposition by regulating the multi-targeted autophagy and its signaling network.

Jabuticaba intake reduced weight gain, inflammation, oxidative stress, hepatic steatosis, and improved insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance, and gut health through modulation of the intestinal barrier and microbiota.

Given the potential of polyphenols to mitigate neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), this meta-analysis investigated whether clinical evidence supports the use of polyphenols for neuroprotection and as nutritional strategies in NDDs.

The figure highlights major red raspberry ellagitannins, their extraction/analysis, microbial conversion to urolithins, multi-target health effects (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, metabolic regulation), and applications across industries.

This review reports on personalised nutrition randomised controlled trials using one of the following approaches: (1) phenotype based approaches (2) genotype based personalisation and (3) machine learning algorithms. Image produced with napkin-AI.

Zearalenone (ZEN) induced abnormal M2-type polarization of placental macrophages, impaired placental angiogenesis and efficiency. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG alleviated ZEN-induced placental damage by altering macrophage polarization.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition with complex etiology involving gut–brain axis interactions.

Ultrasound regulates the structure of amyloid fibrils from krill protein. This greatly enhances iron binding and enables sustained Fe²⁺ release.

Multifaceted protection via the gut–liver axis.

Carbohydrate quality may influence long-term health and contribute to lower mortality risk in older adults at high cardiovascular risk.

Fermented goat milk powder (FGMP) improves intestinal structure and enhances spleen antioxidant capacity by modulating gut microbiota and metabolites.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a growth factor that has a central role in sustaining brain function.

Microbial–enzymatic co-fermentation of HBB elevated its free phenolic content. The resulting product alleviated obesity and metabolic disorders in HFD-fed mice by modulating hepatic lipid synthesis genes and restoring the gut microbiota.

Schematic representation of the mechanism by which cynarin attenuates the progression of AP.

Bioactive food peptides demonstrate potential in chronic disease intervention, yet their structure–activity dynamics during digestion remain poorly understood.

Evaluation of the permeability of tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol by implementing a human-origin triple co-culture BBB model.

This study aimed to assess the impact of a chronic daily consumption of PP-rich foods on the urinary phenolic profile in postmenopausal women at high cardiometabolic risk.

Dietary diacylglycerol ameliorates obesity-induced osteoporosis by attenuating NF-κB signaling to rebalance osteoblast and osteoclast activity.

After a 60-day intervention, TC and ApoB decreased significantly in the combined PSs–PLs group, and TC decreased in the PSs-only group. Erythrocyte lipidomics showed associations with blood lipids and membrane lipids.

Citropten from Citrus sinensis peel alleviates renal fibrosis in chronic kidney disease through multi-target modulation, identified by network pharmacology and validated by transcriptomic correlation, molecular docking, and in vivo studies.

A novel magnesium and apigenin combination improves sleep by suppressing neuroinflammation and microglial activation, offering a new nutraceutical strategy.

C3G injection alleviates mechanically induced TMJOA by modulating YAP/NF-κB signaling, providing insight into a nutraceutical-based therapeutic strategy.

Melissa officinalis subsp. altissima exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects, supporting its application in functional foods for brain health.

HBBG co-encapsulation improved probiotic survival during drying and digestion, boosted SCFAs production, and enhanced gut health, demonstrating significant prebiotic potential.

Dietary fibre is vital for a healthy diet, yet many people avoid it because of symptoms induced by colonic gas. We explore how gel-forming, poorly fermented fibres affect the colonic gas produced by ingesting rapidly fermentable fibre.

Sugarcane bagasse arabinoxylan alleviates colitis by modulating gut microbiota, showing promise as a candidate for the prevention and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG alleviates LPS-induced liver injury by restoring TDCA through enhanced bile acid reabsorption and gut microbiota modulation. TDCA mitigates inflammation partially through the oxidative phosphorylation pathway.

Early-life overfeeding (ELOF) induces obesity during lactation, depletes Lactobacillus johnsonii at weaning, and increases susceptibility to diet-induced obesity in adulthood, which can be alleviated by early-life L. johnsonii reconstitution.

Whole-component soymilk alleviates ulcerative colitis by modulating gut microbiota and regulating metabolic pathways.

TBS–GELNs composite resistant starch (GTBS) stabilizes postprandial blood glucose levels through multiple mechanisms and offers distinct advantages in preventing and managing metabolic diseases such as diabetes.

Maqui berry extract affected postprandial responses by inhibiting DPP-IV activity.

A combination of walnut peptide and theanine (WPT) effectively ameliorates sleep disorders by restoring slow-wave sleep and regulating the HPA axis.

Fermented barley bran can be used as a functional ingredient of staple foods.

Pear peel polyphenols protect against colitis by modulating the gut microbiota composition and mucosal immune homeostasis.

The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in human health and is key to understanding how various factors modulate its composition in older adults, enabling targeted interventions.

Moderate tea and coffee intake (∼2 cups per day) associated with better lung function, lower inflammation, and lower COPD and asthma risk. High tea intake may increase COPD risk, suggesting moderation is key for respiratory benefits.

A lipolysis-coalescence model was used to unify the lipolysis under INFGEST conditions.