Nutrigenomics

Introduction

Nutrigenomics

is a very recent branch that deals with the effect of nutrients on body, particularly it's genome,proteomics and metabolomics and vice-versa. To explain it in greater depth, it simply means that what effect does nutrients produce on body's transcriptional ability, metabolising process and capacity and also protien synthesis. Nutrigenomics doesn't simply confines within this 'small circle' but extends to even more complex domain of body's homeostasis maintainance and regulation.

Study of Nutrigenomics

Not much has been studied about Nutrigenomics till date and the field is still in it's infant stage. Though study and research is still goin on, but a short method may be described involved in it's study.

It involves a basic but an efficient tool of 'High Thoroughput Screening', which carries out millions of genetic screening tests at a time. When this tool is coupled up to the study related to post-nutritional effects on genome of body, a good deal of information about the response of the person to that specific nutrient may be obtained.

e.g- If a person has a defect in the gene coding for lactose and it results in inability of that person to produce that enzyme, then it leads to a condition known as 'lactose intolerance' in which lactose is not metabolised to galactose and all the steps occuring beyond that fail to occur and lactose increasingly accumulates in host's body disturbing homeostasis. Hence, the patient shouldn't be administered lactose.

Applications

1) A classic example of application of Nutrigenomics may be given illustrating the hormone 'Leptin'. It's produced by adipocytes and has it's receptors located in hypothalamus, especially the receptor LepRb. When Leptin binds to it's receptor, it induces a feeling of satiety. However, due to genetic defect in gene coding for Leptin, there is increasing sensation of apetite leading to obesity.

2) Metabolism of Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamine) is impaired due to lack of vitamin folic acid. Folic acid is required as the methylene group donor to cyanocobalamin. When folic acid deficiency occurs, metabolism of cyanocobalamine doesn't occur leading to pernicious anaemia.

Future Scope

Since, the commonmost diseases that are caused, are mainly due to the deficiency of nutrients or enzyme abnormality associated with it, they may be cured by use of nutrients alone instead of pharmacotherapy. This would minimise the adverse effects caused by chemotherapeutic drugs like doxorubicin (which may even cause amputation of limb) etc.

Though, it's in its primitive stage of research,but it's importance has been recognised and would be soon developed to a position it deserves.