Advanced Interactions of Bioactive Polysaccharides with Polyphenols and Proteins: Mechanisms, Functional Consequences, and Applications in Precision Nutrition

The paradigm in nutritional science is shifting from studying isolated nutrients to understanding the complex food matrix. Bioactive polysaccharides, central to this matrix, are not passive fibers. Their molecular fate and function are dynamically shaped by interactions during food processing and in the gastrointestinal tract. Covalent interactions, such as those induced by thermal processing leading to Maillard conjugates, can create novel macromolecules with enhanced antioxidant capacity or altered gut fermentability. Non-covalent complexes, driven by hydrogen bonding, electrostatic, or hydrophobic forces, can protect polyphenols from degradation, modulate protein digestibility, and control the rheological properties of digesta, thereby influencing nutrient absorption kinetics. Critically, these physicochemical changes directly impact the polysaccharide's role as a microbiota-accessible carbohydrate. The structure-dependent fermentation by gut microbes dictates the production profile of key metabolites like butyrate, which is a crucial regulator of colonic health, systemic inflammation, and host metabolism. Therefore, dissecting these interactions is not merely a food chemistry exercise but a prerequisite for unlocking targeted, microbiome-mediated health benefits.

The primary goal of this Research Topic is to establish a comprehensive scientific framework linking the specific mechanisms of polysaccharide-polyphenol-protein interactions to their downstream physiological and health-relevant effects. We aim to curate high-quality research that: 1) characterizes the formation and structure of these complexes using advanced analytical techniques; 2) investigates their stability, release, and modification through simulated and in vivo digestion models; 3) evaluates their subsequent impact on gut microbiota composition, function, and metabolite production; and 4) correlates these effects with precise host physiological responses, particularly in glucolipid metabolism and immune function. The ultimate objective is to translate this knowledge into actionable principles for designing functional foods tailored for precision nutrition interventions.

This Research Topic welcome submissions, including but not limited to the following subtopics:

● Mechanistic Studies: Elucidating covalent (e.g., alkaline, free-radical, enzyme-mediated grafting) and non-covalent (electrostatic, hydrophobic, hydrogen bonding) interaction mechanisms between purified or food-derived polysaccharides, polyphenols, and/or proteins.

● Structure-Function Analysis: Investigating how specific interaction types alter polysaccharide conformation, colloidal properties, and resistance to enzymatic hydrolysis, linking these changes to in vitro bioactivity (e.g., antioxidant, bile acid binding).

● Gut Microbiota Interface: Examining the fermentability of polysaccharide complexes, their selective modulation of gut microbial ecology, and the consequent production of microbial metabolites (SCFAs, tryptophan derivatives).

● Health Outcome Evaluation: Preclinical and clinical studies evaluating the impact of defined polysaccharide complexes on biomarkers of glycaemic control, lipid metabolism, intestinal barrier function, and innate/adaptive immunity.

● Application in Food Design: Developing and characterizing novel functional foods, ingredients based on polysaccharide–polyphenol–protein interactions, and how complexes remodel during digestion to control stability, release, and microbiota-accessible carbohydrate (MAC) availability.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• ... View all formats

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Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: bioactive polysaccharides, polyphenol-polysaccharide interaction, protein-polysaccharide complex, gut microbiota modulation, precision nutrition, food matrix engineering, immunometabolism, glycemic control, functional food design

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.