Diabetes, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and cancer - these are just some of the many diseases whose common denominator is a reduced production of the so-called butyrate, a salt of butyric acid, in the human body. Butyrate is produced by beneficial intestinal bacteria. And Czech experts are among the European pioneers of the process in which this substance is specifically added to the intestines.
Butyrate restores the integrity of the mucosa and thus reduces the penetration of intestinal contents into the mucosa and subsequently into the blood. At the same time, it has a fundamental impact on suppressing chronic inflammation in the intestine - specifically in the colon, it is mainly about preventing rectal cancer, and in the small intestine, it is about preventing, for example, Crohn's disease.
"It is an essential vitamin or nutrient that affects many physiological processes in the human body. Several scientific studies have shown that butyrate can have anti-inflammatory and even anti-tumor effects - for example, by triggering the targeted death of colorectal cancer cells," explained Petr Ryšávka from the Brno-based company MICROCENTRANS, which is researching butyrate, to Novinky.
The company is engaged in the development, research and production of biotechnological products with a focus on food, pharmaceutical, hygiene, cosmetic and ecological applications.
"It also appears that butyrate increases tissue sensitivity to insulin, thus representing a new direction for supportive supplementation for patients with diabetes," added the researcher, who also works at the Faculty of Chemistry of the Brno University of Technology (BUT).
It multiplies healthy cells, destroys cancer cells
Medicine has known the term "butyrate paradox" for several years. It is the ability to distinguish healthy cells from cancerous cells in the body, especially in the intestinal mucosa. Butyrate helps healthy cells multiply, while it destroys cancerous cells by triggering a process called cell suicide.
"The prerequisite for the proper effect of butyrate is its sufficient intake. The basic condition is its special modification, which ensures that it will not be damaged by the aggressive pH of the stomach as it passes through the digestive system," said Ryšávka, adding that butyrate is currently entering patients' bodies in the form of specially modified capsules.
His team is now working to develop a targeted release form of butyrate, which would further increase its effectiveness.
Butyrate acts as a regulatory molecule of our immunity and is anti-inflammatory and could therefore be used in the treatment of intestinal inflammation. By producing it, bacteria influence the immune system and dampen its chronic reactions. In the future, it represents great hope for patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.
"Tests conducted at foreign institutions have shown that patients with ulcerative colitis had significantly reduced levels of butyrate-producing bacteria," added Ryšávka.
Similarly, people suffering from diabetes also have low butyrate content, so it could be successfully used in its treatment.
