Anti-inflammatory activity of butyrate: therapeutic effects, educative strategies and potential implications for an athlete’s health

Abstract

Short chain fatty acid butyrate is a compound physiologically produced in human colon by resident flora fermentation of undigested carbohydrates. The multiple beneficial effects of butyrate on human health are well documented. Butyrate is able to modulate a wide range of processes like the ion transport, the maintenance of the intestinal barrier, the mucosa trophism and metabolism, the visceral perception and the intestinal motility. Some of these effects depend on the inhibition that butyrate exerts on the enzyme hystone deacetylase that in turn modulates gene expression for hundreds of genes. The global level of hystone acetylation is relevant for many common diseases including inflammation related diseases like obesity, diabetes mellitus, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer, as well as for some rare diseases such as mitochondrial diseases and lipodystrophies. Although butyrate represents a minor intermediate of fiber digestion, many evidences demonstrate that it has the stronger anti-inflammatory action among SCFAs. Here we focus on known targets and anti-inflammatory mechanisms of butyrate action and discuss the latest anti-inflammatory therapeutic strategies related to the use of this compound in human diseases. We also investigate about exercise effect on gut microbioma.