Endocrine Disruptors in Gut Endocrinology

Endocrine disruptors or endocrine disrupting chemicals are chemicals, natural or man-made, that interfere with endocrine function. Some of these disruptors are present in the ecosystem, as pollutants in the environment, or as a part of commonplace products. It is important to understand the impact of chemicals on our health, particularly within commonplace products that most of the population will come into contact with during their daily routines. As humans are typically exposed to multiple disruptors at the same time, assessing effects on public health can be challenging.



This collection aims to present the impacts of endocrine disrupting chemicals on Gut Endocrinology. Impacts may be as a result of general lifetime exposure or exposure within a critical window of development e.g. early development or pregnancy. As endocrine function involves very small changes in hormone levels, even small amounts of endocrine disruptors can cause significant effects or dysfunction. The human gut is the major niche for microbes living in our human body and the metabolites produced by them are now recognized as novel gut hormones along with the hormones produced by the intestinal cells.



Endocrine disrupting chemicals with common or everyday use and potential for endocrine disruption include: pesticides, BPA in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins; Dioxins; PFAS in some textile coatings and cookware; phthalates to make food packaging, cosmetics, fragrances, children’s toys, and medical devices; and PBDE in the flame-retardant treatment of furniture and carpet. We can be exposed to endocrine disruptors through our diet, the air, in water, or through our skin.



The editors welcome original research, reviews and other accepted article types.



Submissions may address, but are not limited to, the following:

• Novel Gut Endocrinology disruptors;

• Results of general exposure to Gut Endocrinology disruptors;

• Results of exposure to Gut Endocrinology disruptors during critical windows of development;

• Detection methods for exposure to Gut Endocrinology disruptors;

• Results of combined exposure to multiple Gut Endocrinology disruptors;

• Results of exposure to disruptors in patients with comorbidities;

• Clinical guidance relating to these types of exposures;

• Development of models to evaluate or identify endocrine disruptors.

• Gut microbial metabolites as novel gut hormones

• Impact of endocrine disruptors on gut microbiota and its impact on gut endocrinology

• Epidemiological studies correlating gut hormones (both human and microbial origin) with exposure to endocrine disruptors and metabolic diseases (diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, etc.,)