Prospects for clinical applications of butyrate-producing bacteria

Li Bin Zhu, Yu Chen Zhang, Han Hui Huang, Jing Lin

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

53 Scopus citations

Abstract

As the major source of energy for colonic mucosal cells and as an important regulator of gene expression, inflammation, differentiation, and apoptosis in host cells, microbiota-derived butyrate can enhance the intestinal mucosal immune barrier, modulate systemic immune response, and prevent infections. Maintaining a certain level of butyrate production in the gut can help balance intestinal microbiota, regulate host immune response, and promote the development and maintenance of the intestinal mucosal barrier. Butyrate-producing bacteria act as probiotics and play important roles in a variety of normal biological functions. Bacteriotherapeutic supplementation by using fecal microbiota transplantation to restore butyrate-producing commensal bacteria in the gut has been very successful in the treatment of recurrent and refractory Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection or C. difficile-negative nosocomial diarrhea. Administration of probiotics that include butyrate-producing bacteria may have a role in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases and in the prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis and late-onset sepsis in premature infants. Furthermore, modulating gut microbiota with dietary approaches may improve intestinal dysbiosis commonly seen in patients with obesity-associated metabolic disorders. Supplementation with a butyrate-producing bacterial stain might be used to increase energy expenditure, improve insulin sensitivity, and to help control obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)84-92
Number of pages9
JournalWorld Journal of Clinical Pediatrics
Volume10
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2021

Keywords

  • Butyrate
  • Butyrate-producing bacteria
  • Gut microbiota
  • Intestinal mucosal barrier
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Probiotics

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