International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

The Role of Micronutrients in Metabolic and Infectious Diseases

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Esther Molina-Montes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

1. Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
2. Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INYTA) ‘José Mataix’, Biomedical Research Centre, University of Granada, Avenida del Conocimiento s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain
3. Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, 18012 Granada, Spain
4. CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
Interests: nutrition; molecular epidemiology; chronic diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, play a crucial role in human health and have garnered increasing attention in scientific research. Deficiencies in certain micronutrients, such as vitamin D or zinc, have been linked to a higher risk of metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes and infectious diseases such as viral infections.

Molecular studies enable the investigation of how these nutrients impact cellular function, immune response, and inflammation. Furthermore, they provide valuable insights for the development of therapeutic strategies based on the modulation of micronutrient levels. Research on cell cultures has demonstrated that micronutrients play an essential role in the prevention and treatment of metabolic and infectious diseases, opening new avenues for improving human health.

Therefore, this monograph focuses on the role of micronutrients in metabolic and infectious diseases, assessed through in vitro and in vivo studies, including cell culture assays, as well as in silico studies via computational approaches.

Dr. Esther Molina-Montes
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.

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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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.

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 policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

18 pages, 4306 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Synergic Immunomodulatory Effect of Vitamin D and Chickpea Protein Hydrolysate in THP-1 Cells: An In Vitro Approach

by Ángela Alcalá-Santiago, Rocío Toscano-Sánchez, José Carlos Márquez-López, José Antonio González-Jurado, María-Soledad Fernández-Pachón, Belén García-Villanova, Justo Pedroche and Noelia María Rodríguez-Martín

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(23), 12628; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252312628 - 25 Nov 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1092

Abstract

Vitamin D (VD), a crucial micronutrient, regulates bone health and immune responses. Recent studies suggest that VD may confer protective effects against chronic inflammatory diseases. Additionally, plant-based peptides can show biological activities. Furthermore, the supplementation of protein hydrolysates with VD could potentially enhance the bioactivity of peptides, leading to synergistic effects. In this study, THP-1 cells were exposed to low concentrations of Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce inflammation, followed by treatment with vitamin D at different concentrations (10, 25, or 50 nM) or a chickpea protein hydrolysate (“H30BIO”) supplemented with VD. The cytotoxicity of VD was evaluated using viability assay to confirm its safety. The cytokine secretion of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL6 was assessed in the cell supernatant, and the gene expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL6, IL8, CASP-1, COX2, NRF2, NF-ĸB, NLRP3, CCL2, CCR2, IP10, IL10, and RANTES was quantified by qRT-PCR. Treatment with VD alone significantly decreased the expression of the pro-inflammatory genes TNF-α and IL6, as well as their corresponding cytokine levels in the supernatants. While IL-1β gene expression remained unchanged, a reduction in its cytokine release was observed upon VD treatment. No dose-dependent effects were observed. Interestingly, the combination of VD with H30BIO led to an increase in TNF-α expression and secretion in contrast with the LPS control, coupled with a decrease in IL-1β levels. Additionally, genes such as IP10, NF-κB, CCL2, COX2, NRF2, and CASP-1 exhibited notable modulation, suggesting that the combination treatment primarily downregulates NF-κB-related gene activity. This study demonstrates a synergistic interaction between VD and H30BIO, suggesting that this combination may enhance pathways involving TNF-α, potentially aiding in the resolution and modulation of inflammation through adaptive processes. These findings open new avenues for research into the therapeutic applications of enriched protein hydrolysates with VD to manage low-grade inflammatory-related conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Micronutrients in Metabolic and Infectious Diseases)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

29 pages, 4932 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Molecular Mechanisms Linking Genes and Vitamins of the Complex B Related to One-Carbon Metabolism in Breast Cancer: An In Silico Functional Database Study

by José María Gálvez-Navas, Esther Molina-Montes, Miguel Rodríguez-Barranco, MCarmen Ramírez-Tortosa, Ángel Gil and María-José Sánchez

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(15), 8175; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25158175 - 26 Jul 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1876

Abstract

Carcinogenesis is closely related to the expression, maintenance, and stability of DNA. These processes are regulated by one-carbon metabolism (1CM), which involves several vitamins of the complex B (folate, B2, B6, and B12), whereas alcohol disrupts the cycle due to the inhibition of folate activity. The relationship between nutrients related to 1CM (all aforementioned vitamins and alcohol) in breast cancer has been reviewed. The interplay of genes related to 1CM was also analyzed. Single nucleotide polymorphisms located in those genes were selected by considering the minor allele frequency in the Caucasian population and the linkage disequilibrium. These genes were used to perform several in silico functional analyses (considering corrected p-values < 0.05 as statistically significant) using various tools (FUMA, ShinyGO, and REVIGO) and databases such as the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and GeneOntology (GO). The results of this study showed that intake of 1CM-related B-complex vitamins is key to preventing breast cancer development and survival. Also, the genes involved in 1CM are overexpressed in mammary breast tissue and participate in a wide variety of biological phenomena related to cancer. Moreover, these genes are involved in alterations that give rise to several types of neoplasms, including breast cancer. Thus, this study supports the role of one-carbon metabolism B-complex vitamins and genes in breast cancer; the interaction between both should be addressed in future studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Micronutrients in Metabolic and Infectious Diseases)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

The Role of Micronutrients in Metabolic and Infectious Diseases

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI