Toxicomicrobiomics: Exploring the Interplays Between Xenobiotics, Gut Microbiota, and Health

Dear Colleagues,

The harmful impact of xenobiotics on human health is being more widely recognized. However, inter- and intraindividual variations modulate the extent of harm, particularly as they affect the way xenobiotics are metabolized and detoxified. Xenobiotics can disrupt microbiota composition and function, potentially leading to dysbiosis, which is associated with negative health outcomes. Toxicomicrobiomics explores the reciprocal interplays between the microbiome and xenobiotics, focusing on their effects, transformations, and toxicity. These interactions can take the following different forms: (i) The gut microbiome can be adversely changed by exposure to xenobiotics, leading to microbial imbalance and health implications; (ii) The microbiota can also offer protection by breaking down or modifying harmful substances, making them less toxic; (iii) Microbial processes might detoxify xenobiotics, although, in some cases, this transformation can result in harmful toxins or counteract the body’s detoxification mechanisms; (iv) Gut microbes are capable of converting xenobiotics into less toxic and mutagenic compounds, which may reduce the likelihood of dysbiosis.

Led by Dr. Ana López Moreno and Dr. Alicia Ruiz-Rodríguez and assisted by our Topical Advisory Panel Member, Dr. Anna Kostka (AGH University of Science and Technology), this Issue aims to improve our understanding of the effect of xenobiotics on the gut microbiota and its subsequent health implications, addressing it from a toxicomicrobiomics perspective.

Dr. Ana López Moreno
Dr. Alicia Ruiz-Rodríguez
Guest Editors

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