Benefícios da epigenética aplicados ao campo da nutrição e sua associação na prevenção de doenças crônicas não transmissíveis

Abstract

Epigenetics is defined as the study of changes in gene expression that are unrelated to sequential changes in the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Epigenetics was conceptualized by Conrad Waddington as a term that relates the interactions that occur between environment and genotype that result in a phenotype. Epigenetic changes occur constantly in our cells, which affect gene protein products. Such changes may be transmitted to offspring, as they modify gene expression to activate or repress gene transcription. These modifications include DNA methylation, histone modifications such as with how some genes are expressed, such as metabolic dysfunction-related acetylation and deacetylation, chromatin remodeling, etc. An individual's diet and lifestyle are environmental factors that interfere in how these genes are expressed, as phenotypes related to metabolic dysfunction. Throughout life an erroneous eating pattern alters these mechanisms and this transcriptional disorder can influence the operation of the organism. Therefore understanding these mechanisms is essential, since understanding the relationship of the components in the diet and the development of pathologies. This project aims to highlight the benefits of the epigenetics applicable to the field of Nutrition. The literature review aimed to categorize the most relevant results regarding epigenetics and involving nutrition. Through literature review, concepts, epigenetic mechanisms, nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics, maternal nutrition, endocrine disorders obesity, diabetes and dyslipidemia, exercise endurance, oxidative stress and antioxidant diet were described and the perspectives that this science will bring in the future. Thus, this review addressed research on epigenetics in the nutritional field, explicitly demonstrating that epigenetic factors are associated with external factors such as diet. The results obtained include satisfactorily to these issues, as it is expected that further studies are developed with greater theoretical background on epigenetics applied to the field of Nutrition.