Nutrigenomics of food pesticides

The environment plays a substantial role in determining our health and in developing diseases. Amongst environmental factors, pesticides designed to control pests, but also capable of being toxic to non-target living organisms are a major concern for human health. Exposure to these toxicants through nutrition has been well established, and both the level of pesticides contained in foods and markers of exposure in human populations have been measured. While acute toxic effects of pesticides have been widely examined, uncertainties on chronic and long-term consequences of low-level exposure still remain. Environmental exposures can trigger several types of damage. Firstly, chemicals can provoke changes in gene expression by interfering with various signaling pathways. Recent evidence, however, also suggests that pesticides can alter host defenses, and lead to the onset and progression of diseases through epigenetic changes. The exposure to pesticides triggers individual responses. Variability in individual susceptibility is governed by several genetic variants, suggesting that specific subpopulations of individuals should be made aware and alerted of these potentially harmful effects. Studies in both humans and animals have shown that epigenetic perturbations particularly occur in certain periods of life, and that the epigenetic memory of such events is related to chronic late-onset disease. Furthermore, not only the generation directly exposed, but also its offspring can be affected by such epigenetic perturbations. Given the pivotal role of nutrition in modulating epigenetic homeostasis, the content of pesticides in foods is an important aspect to consider in relation to nutrigenomic effects for health promotion and prevention of chronic disease.