Oxidative Stress and Gut Microbiota

PREFACE Oxidative stress is a feature of gastrointestinal diseases and associated conditions, affecting a variety of molecular and cellular processes that ultimately contribute to the disease pathophysiology. Oxidative stress can arise due to nutritional imbalance during a spectrum of time frames, before the onset of disease, or during its development. Considering these premises, there is a fundamental need to better understand the processes inherent to oxidative stress in gastrointestinal tissues, and to evaluate whether oxidative stress can be ameliorated with pharmacological or natural agents with antioxidant properties. Importantly, whilst physicians and clinical workers understand the cellular processes involved in gastrointestinal diseases, they are less conversant with the science of nutrition and dietetics. On the other hand, nutritionists and dieticians are not as familiar with the detailed molecular and cellular mechanisms of gastrointestinal disease, but favor nutritional intervention. Thus gastroenterologists, hepatologists, endocrinologists, food scientists, and nutritionists are separated by divergent skills and professional disciplines that need to be bridged in order to advance medical science and enable preventative or treatment strategies. This book, Gastrointestinal Tissue: Oxidative Stress and Dietary Antioxidants, aims to cover in a single volume the science of oxidative stress in gastrointestinal diseases, and the potential therapeutic usage of natural antioxidants in the diet or food matrix, ultimately aiming at helping to build the bridge between physiology and nutrition, between physicians and nutritionists. Gastrointestinal Tissue: Oxidative Stress and Dietary Antioxidants imparts holistic information within a structured format: Section I, Oxidative Stress and Gastroenterology, covers the basic processes of oxidative stress, from molecular biology to whole organs, in relation to a starter pack composed by the gastrointestinal anatomy and sources of oxidative stress, and redox mechanisms in gastrointestinal diseases; which is followed by chapters depicting the role of oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of cancer, Crohn’s disease, mucosal injury, helicobacter pylori, inflammatory bowel disease, gut dysbiosis, liver diseases, ischemia/reperfusion injury, portal hypertension, necrotizing enterocolitis, pancreatitis, and gallbladder disease. Section II, Antioxidants and Gastroenterology, covers antioxidants in foods, including plants and components of the diet, as well as dietary supplements. The section starts with a seminal chapter describing the molecular mechanisms underlying the action of antioxidants, followed by descriptions of the beneficial effects of antioxidant vitamins, selenium, berries, herbs, garlic extract, ginger extract, ginseng, kiwi fruit peptide, magnesium, melatonin, flavonoids, soy peptide, and lycopenes. Gastrointestinal Tissue: Oxidative Stress and Dietary Antioxidants is designed for nutritionists, dieticians, food scientists, gastroenterologists, hepatologists, endocrinologists, health care workers, and research scientists. The Editors sincerely acknowledge the authors, leading experts in the field, for their valuable contributions, and our Elsevier Editorial Project Manager Sam Young, for their help and patience during the preparation of this work.