The field of functional foods plays a critical role in advancing sustainable nutrition and human health. Phytochemicals – bioactive compounds found in plants – are increasingly recognized for their potential to prevent disease, modulate gut health, and enhance overall well-being. Modern research has demonstrated the significant contributions of phytochemicals such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and carotenoids in mitigating oxidative stress, inflammation, and metabolic syndromes. Despite this progress, gaps remain in understanding the bioavailability, metabolism, and optimal utilization of these compounds, particularly in diverse dietary contexts. Ongoing debates also center on how best to incorporate traditional dietary practices and indigenous plant knowledge into mainstream nutrition science, thus merging cultural heritage with contemporary evidence.
This Research Topic aims to highlight the interface between indigenous knowledge and modern scientific understanding of phytochemicals in functional foods. The core objectives include elucidating the metabolic pathways and bioavailability of key phytochemicals, uncovering their roles in disease prevention and gut health, and identifying synergies between traditional diets and validated scientific approaches. Furthermore, this topic seeks to identify innovative nutrition solutions informed by both ancestral wisdom and new technological advances, ultimately supporting sustainable food systems and public health.
The scope of this Research Topic encompasses the sustainable use, scientific investigation, and cultural contextualization of functional foods and their phytochemical constituents. Emphasis will be placed on evidence-based approaches that bridge indigenous knowledge systems with modern nutritional science, while also considering the environmental and economic impacts of production and consumption. To gather further insights into this topic, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
• Bioavailability, metabolism, and health effects of phytochemicals in functional foods
• The role of indigenous knowledge and traditional diets in modern nutrition
• Sustainable agricultural practices and the cultivation of climate-resilient crops
• Socio-economic and environmental dimensions of functional food systems
• Mechanistic studies and interventions linking phytochemicals to disease prevention and gut health
• Policy, education, and community-based strategies supporting sustainable nutrition
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
- Brief Research Report
- Clinical Trial
- Community Case Study
- Conceptual Analysis
- Data Report
- Editorial
- FAIR² Data
- FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
- General Commentary
- … View all formats
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Keywords: Nutraceuticals, Functional foods, Phytochemicals, Bioavailability, Secondary metabolites, Gut microbiome–diet interactions, Indigenous and traditional food systems, Plant-derived bioactive compounds, Climate-resilient crops for nutrition, Sustainable nutritional innovations, Underutilized and indigenous crops, Precision nutrition and personalized diets
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.
