The Effects of Putative Biotic Compounds on Cognitive Speed and Mood

Recent nutrition and brain-health research (2023–2025) has increasingly focused on the gut microbiome as a plausible, modifiable pathway linking diet to cognitive speed (e.g., reaction time, processing speed) and affective outcomes (e.g., stress reactivity, anxiety, depressive symptoms). Emerging evidence suggests that microbially mediated changes in gut barrier integrity, immune and endocrine signaling, vagal pathways, and bioactive metabolites (including short-chain fatty acids, indole derivatives, bile-acid metabolites, and other neuroactive compounds) may shape brain function and behavior in measurable, nutrition-relevant ways.This Research Topic aims to curate rigorous, mechanistically grounded studies that evaluate how putative biotic compounds influence human brain function, with a specific focus on cognitive speed and mood. We encourage submissions examining recognized prebiotics and probiotics, fermented foods, and interventions acting synbiotically or postbiotically, as well as promising compounds with evidence of “biotic-like” activity that are not yet formally classified as biotics (e.g., phenolic compounds with proposed prebiotic effects). To strengthen the evidence base and reduce publication bias, we explicitly welcome well-designed studies reporting null or non-significant effects, alongside positive findings. While all manuscript types are welcome (including reviews and methods papers), original human research—particularly controlled dietary interventions and clinical trials with robust microbiome and metabolite profiling—is especially encouraged.Key themes of interest include:• Human trials of pre-, pro-, syn-, and post-biotics targeting cognitive speed and mood outcomes• Fermented foods and dietary patterns as microbiome-mediated brain interventions• Phenolics and other candidate “biotic-like” compounds influencing microbial function and neuroactive metabolites• Mechanistic pathways (immune, barrier, vagal, endocrine) and multi-omics biomarker discovery• Reproducible methodology and transparent reporting, including null findings and safety/quality considerations Topic editors: Emma Wightman, Terezia Kiskova-Simkova Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/78129/the-effects-of-putative-biotic-compounds-on-cognitive-speed-and-mood