Plants and Fungi at the Food–Medicine Continuum (PFMC) are gaining popularity as valuable sources as people become increasingly aware of the link between diet and metabolic diseases. In this context, metabolites rich in nutrients have received increasing attention as key metabolites of PFMC in preventing or treating metabolic diseases. Furthermore, consumers’ demand for PFMC has sparked scientific interest in exploring the relationship between its bioactive metabolites and metabolic diseases. However, the introduction of PFMC for metabolic diseases should be backed by strong scientific support regarding their function in these conditions. The future development direction of PFMC involves precisely isolating their bioactive metabolites and clarifying the molecular mechanisms in preventing or treating metabolic diseases. Considering the therapeutic effects and development direction of PFMC for metabolic diseases, the collection of the latest research would be very beneficial for explaining the relationship between its bioactive metabolites and pharmacological mechanisms.
Despite the abundant reservoir of active metabolites within PFMC that are beneficial for metabolic diseases, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding the relationship between their molecular structure and precise mechanisms of action. Enhancing our understanding of PFMC in preventing or treating metabolic diseases is crucial for further developing precise and effective treatments. This Research Topic aims to consolidate global trends, current insights, and knowledge frameworks pertaining to PFMC interventions and their health benefits for metabolic diseases. We invite original research and review articles that explore the therapeutic potential and mechanisms of PFMC intervention in metabolic diseases. Submissions encompassing pre-clinical and clinical studies, as well as reviews elucidating the benefits of PFMC and their metabolites in metabolic diseases, are welcomed. The central theme seeks to deepen our understanding of the contributions of PFMC in preventing or treating metabolic diseases and advance the field of PFMC.
To gather further insights into the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases using PFMC, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
• The latest development trends of PFMC in the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases, including novel bioactive metabolites, targets, or signaling pathways.
• Characterizing potential bioactive metabolites from PFMC using interdisciplinary approaches.
• In vivo, cell studies, and clinical trials that elucidate the activities of bioactive metabolites in PFMC against metabolic diseases such as Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, and its complications.
• Annotating the pharmacological mechanisms of PFMC against metabolic diseases.
In silico studies, such as network analyses or docking studies, are generally not accepted unless they are followed by an in vitro or in vivo analysis of the material under investigation.
Please self-assess your MS using the ConPhyMP tool (https://ga-online.org/best-practice/), and follow the standards established in the ConPhyMP statement Front. Pharmacol. 13:953205. All the manuscripts need to fully comply with the
Four Pillars of Best Practice in Ethnopharmacology (you can freely download the full version
here). Importantly, please ascertain that the ethnopharmacological context is clearly described (pillar 3d) and that the material investigated is characterized in detail (
pillars 2 a and b).