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Nutrients
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Diet, the Exposome, and Immunity: Microbiota and Beyond
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Diet, the Exposome, and Immunity: Microbiota and Beyond

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutritional Immunology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 May 2026) | Viewed by 2914

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Akihito Harusato

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Guest Editor
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan
Interests: nutrients; exposome; immunity; microbiota; cytokine; environmental health; public health
Dr. Tingchao He

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Guest Editor
Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
Interests: nutrition; nutrition assessment; human nutrition; child nutrition; nutritional epidemiology; nutrient analysis; food fortification; applied nutrition; malnutrition

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The interplay between diet, environmental exposures, and immunity is increasingly recognized as a critical factor influencing health and disease. The gastrointestinal microbiota mediates many of these effects, serving as a dynamic interface between host and environment. Emerging evidence highlights that not only nutritional factors but also broader exposomic influences—such as pollutants, lifestyle, and stress—modulate immune function through microbial and metabolic pathways.

This Special Issue invites original research and reviews exploring the complex relationships among diet, the exposome, and immune responses, with particular attention to the role of gut microbiota and related mechanisms. We welcome studies addressing the dietary components, essential nutrients, microbiota-derived metabolites, and environmental determinants that influence immune function.

We are particularly interested in work that examines these interactions across the lifespan, including early-life exposures, developmental windows of vulnerability, and aging-related immune changes. Submissions may span mechanistic, clinical, epidemiological, or translational approaches that contribute to advancing our understanding of the microbiota–nutrition–immunity axis in diverse contexts.

Dr. Akihito Harusato
Dr. Tingchao He
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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

  • microbiota
  • host–microbe interactions
  • immunity
  • diet
  • exposome
  • nutritional immunology
  • environmental exposures
  • lifecourse health
  • nutrients
  • nutrition education

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 6243 KB  
Article
Therapeutic Potential of Specific Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus Strains for DNCB-Induced Atopic Dermatitis in Mice
by Tingchao He, Qidong Lu, Jian Zhang, Xinyu Xie, Xin Liu, Hua Jiang, Jing Li and Yumei Zhang
Nutrients 2026, 18(9), 1335; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18091335 - 23 Apr 2026
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Abstract
Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease linked to epidermal barrier dysfunction, Th2-skewed immune polarization, and disrupted gut microbiota homeostasis. While probiotic interventions show promise in managing AD, the mechanisms governing strain-specific efficacy—particularly systemic modulation via the “gut–skin axis”—remaining [...] Read more.
Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease linked to epidermal barrier dysfunction, Th2-skewed immune polarization, and disrupted gut microbiota homeostasis. While probiotic interventions show promise in managing AD, the mechanisms governing strain-specific efficacy—particularly systemic modulation via the “gut–skin axis”—remaining to be fully elucidated. Methods: This study systematically compared the oral therapeutic effects of three Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus strains (MG-A047, MG-A054, and LGG) in a 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced AD mouse model. Results: By integrating behavioral, histopathological, and serological assessments with 16S rRNA-based gut microbiota profiling and in vitro functional assays, this study offers a multidimensional evaluation of the strain-specific advantages and potential therapeutic mechanisms of three L. rhamnosus strains. The results demonstrate that MG-A054 most effectively alleviated cutaneous inflammation and pruritus, significantly reduced serum IgE and IL-4 levels, and attenuated epidermal hyperplasia and inflammatory cell infiltration (including mast cells and eosinophils). Mechanistically, this strain may directly inhibit hyaluronidase activity and mast cell degranulation, and specifically remodel the gut microbiota structure, thereby promoting a shift toward a healthier functional profile. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the superior efficacy of MG-A054 may be achieved through coordinated modulation of the gut–skin axis and related pathways. This study offers new mechanistic clues for understanding the strain-specific actions of probiotics and lays a preclinical foundation for the further development of MG-A054 as a potential targeted microecological therapy for AD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, the Exposome, and Immunity: Microbiota and Beyond)
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Review

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17 pages, 688 KB  
Review
The Immune Mind: Linking Dietary Patterns, Microbiota, and Psychological Health
by Giuseppe Marano, Gianandrea Traversi, Osvaldo Mazza, Emanuele Caroppo, Esmeralda Capristo, Eleonora Gaetani and Marianna Mazza
Nutrients 2026, 18(1), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18010096 - 27 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2123
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Nutritional patterns influence the gut–brain axis and immune signaling with potential consequences for depression and anxiety. We conducted a review focused on clinically meaningful psychiatric outcomes (symptom severity/diagnosis) to synthesize recent evidence (2020–2025) on Mediterranean-style dietary interventions; ultra-processed food (UPF) exposure; and [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Nutritional patterns influence the gut–brain axis and immune signaling with potential consequences for depression and anxiety. We conducted a review focused on clinically meaningful psychiatric outcomes (symptom severity/diagnosis) to synthesize recent evidence (2020–2025) on Mediterranean-style dietary interventions; ultra-processed food (UPF) exposure; and psychobiotic/prebiotic strategies, integrating mechanistic insights relevant to practice. Methods: Searches in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science (January 2020–October 2025) combined terms for diet, Mediterranean diet (MD), UPF, microbiota, probiotics, psychobiotics, depression, and anxiety. Eligible designs were randomized/controlled trials (RCTs), prospective cohorts, and systematic reviews/meta-analyses reporting clinical psychiatric outcomes in adults. We prioritized high-quality quantitative syntheses and recent RCTs; data were extracted into a prespecified matrix and synthesized narratively. Results: Recent systematic reviews/meta-analyses support that MD interventions reduce depressive symptoms in adults with major or subthreshold depression, although large, long-term, multicenter RCTs remain a gap. Exposure to UPF is consistently associated with higher risk of common mental disorders and depressive outcomes in large prospective cohorts. Psychobiotics (specific probiotic strains and prebiotics) show small-to-moderate benefits on depressive symptoms across clinical and nonclinical samples, with heterogeneity in strains, dosing, and duration. Mechanistic reviews implicate microbiota-derived metabolites (short-chain fatty acids) and immune–inflammatory signaling (including tryptophan–kynurenine pathways) as plausible mediators. Conclusions: Clinically, emphasizing Mediterranean-style dietary patterns, reducing UPF intake, and considering targeted psychobiotics may complement standard psychiatric care for depression. Future work should prioritize adequately powered, longer RCTs with standardized dietary protocols and microbiome-informed stratification to clarify responders and mechanisms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, the Exposome, and Immunity: Microbiota and Beyond)
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