Oxidative Stress Across Kingdoms in the Gut: Host Immunity, Microbiota, Oxidized Foods, and Neurotransmitter Interactions

Dear Colleagues,

Rationale

Oxidative stress is a fundamental biological challenge faced by all living organisms, including bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals. While reactive oxygen species (ROS) are necessary for immune defense and cellular signaling, excessive oxidative stress contributes to inflammation, microbiota imbalances, and metabolic dysfunctions in the gut.

The gut serves as a dynamic interface where oxidative stress from multiple sources—including immune responses, microbiota metabolism, dietary oxidants, and neurotransmitter catabolism—interacts in ways that are not yet fully understood. Emerging research suggests that oxidized food components, microbial oxidative stress responses, and neurotransmitter-derived oxidative metabolites may collectively shape gut homeostasis or exacerbate intestinal inflammation. However, the interplay between oxidative stress pathways across biological kingdoms remains underexplored.

Scope and Themes

This Special Issue will explore the multifaceted roles of oxidative stress in gut health and disease, focusing on the following:

• Cross-Kingdom Interactions in Oxidative Stress:
• Host immune responses and ROS-mediated inflammation;
• Bacterial oxidative stress defenses and dysbiosis;
• Yeasts and fungi as overlooked contributors to gut oxidative burden;
• The role of plant-derived oxidative metabolites in gut inflammation.
• Neurotransmitter–Oxidative Stress Interactions in the Gut:
• The oxidative metabolism of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine in the gut;
• Neurotransmitter-driven redox imbalances and their effects on microbiota;
• Gut–brain axis dysfunction and oxidative stress in neurological and intestinal disorders;
• Dietary precursors of neurotransmitters and their impact on oxidative stress levels.
• Oxidized Foods and Gut Inflammation:
• The impact of food oxidation on gut microbiota and immune responses;
• Cooking methods and food storage effects on oxidative stress in the gut;
• Dietary antioxidants as modulators of gut inflammation and neuroinflammation.
• Fecal Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress and Neurotransmitter Activity:
• Development of fecal oxidative stress markers for disease monitoring;
• Linking oxidative stress to neurotransmitter metabolism in the gut;
• Potential interventions to mitigate oxidative and neurotransmitter-driven damage.

Significance

By integrating oxidative stress mechanisms across host immunity, microbiota metabolism, neurotransmitter dynamics, and diet, this Special Issue will provide a comprehensive framework for understanding the gut as a central site of oxidative interactions. The findings may inform new strategies for mitigating oxidative damage through diet, microbiota modulation, and targeted antioxidant therapies, with implications for inflammatory and neuroimmune diseases.

Dr. Alex Rodriguez-Palacios
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• oxidative stress
• gut
• microbiota
• ROS
• metabolic