Diet-Microbiota-SCFA Pathways in Metabolic and Neurodegenerative Disease

The field of nutrition and gut microbiome research has increasingly identified the pivotal role of diet in shaping microbial composition and metabolic activity within the gastrointestinal tract. Recent evidence has established that dietary components such as fibre, resistant starch, and polyphenols significantly modulate the gut microbiota, affecting the production of microbial metabolites, especially short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like acetate, propionate, and butyrate. These SCFAs exert widespread effects on host physiology through immune, endocrine, neural, and epigenetic pathways. However, critical gaps remain in our understanding of how these diet-induced changes in microbiota and SCFA signalling translate into clinical outcomes related to both metabolic (obesity, diabetes, MASLD/NAFLD, cardiovascular risk) and neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ALS). Ongoing debates include the relative contributions of specific dietary patterns, the influence of food processing and additives, and the mechanisms connecting intestinal health with brain pathology through the gut-brain axis. This Research Topic aims to synthesize and accelerate mechanistic and translational insights linking diet, gut microbiota structure/function, and SCFA-mediated signalling to both metabolic and neurodegenerative disease trajectories. We seek to address key questions such as which dietary components most effectively enhance beneficial SCFA production, how gut-derived SCFAs modulate immune and neural pathways, and where causal intersections lie between metabolic dysfunction and neurodegeneration. By advancing discussion on multi-omics strategies, biomarker development, and causality validation, using both clinical and experimental approaches, this Research Topic will drive forward a nuanced understanding of diet-microbiota-host interactions.To gather further insights across these complex pathways, studies should be limited to the interplay between dietary factors, gut microbiota, and SCFA-dependent signalling, with a focus on implications for metabolic and neurodegenerative health. We welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:o Dietary determinants of SCFA production and microbial fermentationo Mechanistic studies of SCFA signalling in metabolic and neural contextso Shared pathophysiological pathways in metabolic and neurodegenerative diseaseo Innovative intervention strategies, including pre/pro/postbiotics, dietary modification, and SCFA-targeted therapieso Advancements in measurement techniques, multi-omics integration, and study design for establishing causality Topic editors: Dominic Salamone Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/77024/diet-microbiota-scfa-pathways-in-metabolic-and-neurodegenerative-disease