Nutraceuticals for gut–brain axis health: a novel approach to combat malnutrition and future personalised nutraceutical interventions

Liu, L. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0770-319X, Qi, W. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8507-9050, Zhang, N. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5706-641X, Zhang, J., Liu, S., Wang, H., Jiang, L. and Sun, Y. (2025) Nutraceuticals for gut–brain axis health: a novel approach to combat malnutrition and future personalised nutraceutical interventions. Nutrients, 17 (9). 1551. ISSN 2072-6643 doi: 10.3390/nu17091551

Abstract/Summary

The gut–brain axis (GBA) is a bidirectional communication network between the gastrointestinal tract and the brain, modulated by gut microbiota and related biomarkers. Malnutrition disrupts GBA homeostasis, exacerbating GBA dysfunction through gut dysbiosis, impaired neuroactive metabolite production, and systemic inflammation. Nutraceuticals, including probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics, and paraprobiotics, offer a promising approach to improving GBA homeostasis by modulating the gut microbiota composition and related neuroactive metabolites. This review aims to elucidate the interplay between gut microbiota-derived biomarkers and GBA dysfunction in malnutrition and evaluate the potential of nutraceuticals in combating malnutrition. Furthermore, it explores the future of personalised nutraceutical interventions tailored to individual genetic and microbiome profiles, providing a targeted approach to optimise health outcomes. The integration of nutraceuticals into GBA health management could transform malnutrition treatment and improve cognitive and metabolic health.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/id/eprint/122927
Identification Number/DOI	10.3390/nu17091551
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy > Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences > Food Microbial Sciences Research Group
Publisher	MDPI AG
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