ABSTRACT
28The exposome represents the sum of all elements that exist in the exogenous macroenvironment and the endogenous microenvironment of the host that may influence disease emergence and clinical outcome. In particular, the mucosal exposome is the internal niche-containing food components and microbiome, all of which crosstalk with the host physiological components including the immune system. This integrated network may determine homeostasis, and acute toxicity/disease or chronic disease progression in the host. In this chapter, a mucosal exposome-based understanding of food toxicity and related biomarkers will be described. In the luminal parts of mucosa, foodborne toxicants are mixed with other dietary components and gut microbiota, all of which interact together, leading to complex events in the body. Moreover, the diversity and presence of the toxicant-metabolizing microbes in the gut are another important determinant of the susceptibility to toxicity and may be useful as susceptibility biomarkers. In terms of the mucosal biological responses to foodborne xenobiotics, mucosal effector biomarkers are important in estimating the gut-related diseases including gastroenteritis and systemic disorders. For instance, behavioral responses such as anorexia at the gut-brain axis are mechanistically linked to alteration of eating disorder-linked hormones from the intestinal neuroendocrine cells, which can be useful biomarkers for mucosal exposome-related complications. This chapter will cover issues in terms of food-related diseases including food hypersensitivity, the chronic inflammatory disorders, and the malignant tumors.
