Insights into the Role of Bioactive Food Ingredients and the Microbiome in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences 2020-08, Vol.21 (17), p.6051
• Main Authors: Mercader-Barceló, Josep, Truyols-Vives, Joan, Río, Carlos, López-Safont, Nora, Sala-Llinàs, Ernest, Chaplin, Alice
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age; Aging; Amino Acids - metabolism; Animal models; Animals; Avitaminosis - complications; Biological activity; Carbohydrates; Cell cycle; Chemical compounds; Collagen; Diet; Dietary Fats, Unsaturated - pharmacology; Dietary Fats, Unsaturated - therapeutic use; Disease; Epigenetics; Extracellular matrix; Fibroblasts; Fibrosis; Food; Food Ingredients - adverse effects; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Growth factors; Humans; Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis - diet therapy; Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis - microbiology; Immunology; Infections; Inflammation; Ingredients; Intestinal microflora; Lung - microbiology; Lung diseases; Lungs; Medical prognosis; Metabolism; Microbiomes; Microbiota; Microbiota - physiology; Micronutrients - metabolism; Micronutrients - pharmacology; Minerals; Mutation; Nutrition; Older people; Peptides; Pharmacology; Phytochemicals - pharmacology; Proteins; Pulmonary fibrosis; Review; Senescence; Stem cells; Viral infections; Vitamins; Vitamins - pharmacology
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms21176051

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic disease mainly associated with aging and, to date, its causes are still largely unknown. It has been shown that dietary habits can accelerate or delay the occurrence of aging-related diseases; however, their potential role in IPF development has been underestimated so far. The present review summarizes the evidence regarding the relationship between diet and IPF in humans, and in animal models of pulmonary fibrosis, in which we discuss the bioactivity of specific dietary food ingredients, including fatty acids, peptides, amino acids, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Interestingly, many animal studies reveal preventive and therapeutic effects of particular compounds. Furthermore, it has been recently suggested that the lung and gut microbiota could be involved in IPF, a relationship which may be linked to changes in immunological and inflammatory factors. Thus, all the evidence so far puts forward the idea that the gut-lung axis could be modulated by dietary factors, which in turn have an influence on IPF development. Overall, the data reviewed here support the notion of identifying food ingredients with potential benefits in IPF, with the ultimate aim of designing nutritional approaches as an adjuvant therapeutic strategy.