Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2013;8(6):350-3.
doi: 10.5114/pg.2013.39917. Epub 2013 Dec 30.

Butyric acid in irritable bowel syndrome

Andrzej Załęski  1 , Aleksandra Banaszkiewicz  1 , Jarosław Walkowiak  2
Affiliations
Review

Butyric acid in irritable bowel syndrome

Andrzej Załęski et al. Prz Gastroenterol. 2013.

Abstract

Butyric acid (butanoic acid) belongs to a group of short-chain fatty acids and is thought to play several beneficial roles in the gastrointestinal tract. Butyric anion is easily absorbed by enteric cells and used as a main source of energy. Moreover, butyric acid is an important regulator of colonocyte proliferation and apoptosis, gastrointestinal tract motility and bacterial microflora composition in addition to its involvement in many other processes including immunoregulation and anti-inflammatory activity. The pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), the most commonly diagnosed functional gastrointestinal condition, is complex, and its precise mechanisms are still unclear. This article describes the potential benefits of butyric acid in IBS.

Keywords: butyric acid; irritable bowel syndrome; sodium butyrate.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Drossman DA, Camilleri M, Mayer EA, et al. AGA technical review on irritable bowel syndrome. Gastroenterology. 2002;123:2108–31. - PubMed
    1. Ziółkowski BA, Pacholec A, Kudlicka M, et al. Prevalence of abdominal symptoms in the Polish population. Prz Gastroenterol. 2012;7:20–5.
    1. http://www.romecriteria.org/criteria/
    1. Brandt LJ, Chey WD, Foxx-Orenstein AE, et al. An evidence-based position statement on the management of irritable bowel syndrome. Am J Gastroenterol. 2009;104:1–35. - PubMed
    1. Gąsiorowska J, Czerwionka-Szaflarska M. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome. Prz Gastroenterol. 2013;8:165–71.