The Relations between Nutrition and Infectious Diseases at the Epoch of Microbiota
A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutritional Epidemiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2020) | Viewed by 70670
Special Issue Editors
Interests: adaptative immune response; microbiota; autoimmune diseases; gastrointestinal disorders and cancers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: nutrition; periodontal diseases/periodontitis; oxidative stress; nutrition; aging; mitochondrial function and diseases; berries (strawberry, blueberry, bilberry, cranberry, etc.); olive oil (dietary fats); honey; polyphenols; flavonoids; antioxidants; apoptosis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Nutrition and human infectious diseases have always been intricately linked. Today, thanks to the next-generation sequencing technologies allowing scientists to identify specific interactions in microbial communities, the microbiota has been emerging as a crucial moderator in the complex interactions between food, our body, and infectious diseases.
Nutrition impacts the development of the human immune system, beginning from the embryonic stage. Additionally, the microbiota plays a fundamental role in the induction, training, and function of the host immune system. Negative effects on the regular development of the immune system compromise its defense against pathogens. Likewise, if food has microbial contamination it can influence the emergence of infectious diseases (e.g., gastrointestinal infections), intestinal diseases (e.g. microbial diarrhea), food poisoning ( botulism), and systemic infectious diseases (brucellosis and typhoid).
Moreover, malnutrition, including overnutrition and undernutrition, can increase the risk of infectious diseases, amplify the severity of an infection, and impair the response to drug treatment. Finally, infectious diseases can increase malnutrition.
Different elements can weaken the body’s ability to fight infection and cause malnutrition, including anorexia; metabolic damage; traditional behaviors; the reduction of intestinal absorption; disorder metabolism of lipids and carbohydrates; and the reduction of vitamins, iron, zinc, and copper. In this contest, the intestinal microbiota represents a newly identified factor that might contribute to the development of malnutrition. On the other hand, research findings into the role of the microbiota in the field of infectious diseases remain rudimentary. Of note, the condition of severe immune deficiency or overeating can influence the outcome of infection diseases.
In this Special Issue, the mentioned aspects of the relationship between nutrition, infections, and the emerging role of microbiota will be presented. Insights into the more promising approaches in the form of original research articles or reviews on all areas of nutrition and infectious disease with a special focus on microbiome, experimental designs, and therapeutic approaches are welcome.
Prof. Amedeo Amedei
Prof. Maurizio Battino
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- Nutrition
- Infectious disease
- Microbiota
- Malnutrition
- Immune System
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.