Prebiotic and Probiotic Foods in MASLD: Microbiome-Mediated Therapeutic Strategies

Abstract

Through the use of prebiotics and probiotics, fermented foods offer significant health benefits by enhancing host nutrition and microbiota composition while providing distinctive flavor profiles. Fermentation substantially alters the bioactive compounds in these foods compared to their natural state. Additionally, fermented foods contain probiotics that can modulate consumers’ gut microbiomes, which in turn regulate host biochemistry to help combat various metabolic diseases. Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) represents a growing global health burden. Gut microbiome dysbiosis, combined with unbalanced nutritional intake, is considered a primary driver of disease pathogenesis. Fermented foods can modify the bioavailability of micronutrients—including carbohydrates, polyphenols, and vitamins—thereby influencing host metabolism. Moreover, the probiotics present in fermented foods, along with their modulatory effects on the gut microbiota, contribute to both the management and prevention of MASLD. Modern fermentation approaches, leveraging synthetic biology, systems biology, and metabolic engineering, can further maximize these health benefits. This review summarizes the components, bioactive compounds, and mechanistic pathways by which fermented foods influence the pathogenesis of MASLD, and highlights the potential applications of modern fermentation technologies to enhance their health-promoting properties.

Keywords

Prebiotics / Probiotics / Metabolic disease / MASLD / Nutrients / Modern fermentation technology / Systems biology

Statement of the Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in the Writing Process

During the preparation of this manuscript, the author(s) used Grammarly in order to improve grammar, refine wording, and enhance the overall clarity of the text. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the published article.

Acknowledgments

The authors sincerely express their sincere gratitude to Xinyi Chen and Xiaofang Huang for their assistance in proofreading the document and laboratory management.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, B.C. and C.L.H.; Investigation, B.C., Y.L., J.H.-E.C. and J.C.; Writing—Original Draft Preparation, B.C.; Figure Preparation, J.X., B.C. and C.L.H.; Writing—Review & Editing, B.C., J.-P.T. and C.L.H.; Supervision, C.L.H.; Funding Acquisition, C.L.H.

Ethics Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

The statement is required for all original articles which informs readers about the accessibility of research data linked to a paper and outlines the terms under which the data can be obtained.

Funding

This review and all its investigative work was funded by Chinese Academy of Sciences Hundred Talents Program grant number E444111001 (awarded to C.L.H).

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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