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The Role of Phytochemicals in Metabolism and Immunity

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemicals and Human Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 November 2024 | Viewed by 2157

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Granada (ibs.GRANADA), 18012 Granada, Spain
2. Department of Pharmacology, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
3. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBER-EHD), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
Interests: polyphenols; antioxidant; immune response; microbiota; probiotics
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The immune system modulates the functioning of cellular metabolism in different organs, including the liver, adipose tissue, pancreas, or brain. There is numerous evidence on the close relationship that exists between different metabolic alterations and an inadequate immune response, in which an altered microbiome composition may play a key role. Consequently, the restoration of immune function, directly or through the restoration of gut microbiome composition, will have a positive impact on the management of these metabolic diseases. The intake of edible phytochemicals is among one of the possible therapeutic strategies with beneficial effects in these situations, since they contain active ingredients of a different nature, such as polyphenols, which have been demonstrated to exert different biological properties, including their immunomodulatory capacity and/or prebiotic properties, being able to restore the cellular functioning affected in these metabolic diseases.

We are pleased to invite you to collaborate on this Special Issue, entitled ‘The Role of Phytochemicals in Metabolism and Immunity’, which aims to collect articles focused on the evaluation of the impact of well-characterized dietary phytochemicals in different metabolic conditions, following both preclinical and clinical studies. These studies could describe novel effects for these phytochemicals or their benefits in comparison with other standardized therapies, which could make then attractive as novel therapeutic strategies in the management of these metabolic diseases.

In this Special Issue, original research articles as well as reviews are welcome. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Glucose metabolism disorders;
  • Metabolic syndrome;
  • Lipid metabolism disorders;
  • Disorders of calcium metabolism;
  • Malabsorption syndromes;
  • Iron metabolism disorders;
  • Mitochondrial diseases;
  • Metabolic brain diseases.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Julio Galvez
Guest Editor

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.

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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

  • polyphenols
  • gut microbiota
  • immune response
  • metabolic disease
  • phytochemicals

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 802 KiB  
Article
LDL-Cholesterol-Lowering Effects of a Dietary Supplement Containing Onion and Garlic Extract Used in Healthy Volunteers
by Teresa Vezza, Enrique Guillamón, Jorge García-García, Alberto Baños, Nuria Mut-Salud, Jose David García-López, Germán O. Gómez-Fernández, Alba Rodriguez-Nogales, Julio Gálvez and Juristo Fonollá
Nutrients 2024, 16(16), 2811; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16162811 - 22 Aug 2024
Viewed by 985
Abstract
Hypercholesterolemia plays a pivotal role in the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases, and its prevention seems to be a crucial healthcare strategy to ameliorate these conditions. Subjects with mild hypercholesterolemia are frequently advised against using cholesterol-lowering drugs due to potential side effects, [...] Read more.
Hypercholesterolemia plays a pivotal role in the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases, and its prevention seems to be a crucial healthcare strategy to ameliorate these conditions. Subjects with mild hypercholesterolemia are frequently advised against using cholesterol-lowering drugs due to potential side effects, with an emphasis instead on prioritizing dietary adjustments and lifestyle modifications as the primary strategy. In this context, the use of dietary supplements based on medicinal plants may be recommended as a complementary approach to managing elevated cholesterol levels. The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and potential therapeutic effectiveness of a standardized formulation containing extracts from garlic and onions in addressing the health concerns of individuals with slightly elevated cholesterol levels. A controlled, randomized, double-blind, two parallel-group study was conducted over 8 weeks, with clinical visits scheduled at baseline, weeks 2 and 4, as well as at the end of the study. The results revealed significant reductions in both low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol levels among participants who received the extract. Additionally, improvements in blood pressure, as well as in oxidative and inflammatory markers were observed, thus suggesting its potential as a valuable therapeutic intervention for managing mild hypercholesterolemia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Phytochemicals in Metabolism and Immunity)
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13 pages, 1115 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Impact of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on Maternal Immune System and Breast Milk Composition in Rats
by Sonia Zhan-Dai, Blanca Grases-Pintó, Rosa M. Lamuela-Raventós, Margarida Castell, Francisco J. Pérez-Cano, Anna Vallverdú-Queralt and Maria José Rodríguez-Lagunas
Nutrients 2024, 16(11), 1785; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16111785 - 6 Jun 2024
Viewed by 915
Abstract
Maternal breast milk plays a key role in providing newborns with passive immunity and stimulating the maturation of an infant’s immune system, protecting them from many diseases. It is known that diet can influence the immune system of lactating mothers and the composition [...] Read more.
Maternal breast milk plays a key role in providing newborns with passive immunity and stimulating the maturation of an infant’s immune system, protecting them from many diseases. It is known that diet can influence the immune system of lactating mothers and the composition of their breast milk. The aim of this study was to establish if a supplementation during the gestation and lactation of Lewis rats with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), due to the high proportion of antioxidant components in its composition, has an impact on the mother’s immune system and on the breast milk’s immune composition. For this, 10 mL/kg of either EVOO, refined oil (control oil) or water (REF group) were orally administered once a day to rats during gestation and lactation periods. Immunoglobulin (Ig) concentrations and gene expressions of immune molecules were quantified in several compartments of the mothers. The EVOO group showed higher IgA levels in both the breast milk and the mammary glands than the REF group. In addition, the gene expression of IgA in mammary glands was also boosted by EVOO consumption. Overall, EVOO supplementation during gestation and lactation is safe and does not negatively affect the mother’s immune system while improving breast milk immune composition by increasing the presence of IgA, which could be critical for an offspring’s immune health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Phytochemicals in Metabolism and Immunity)
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