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Review
. 2022 Jan 22;23(3):1222.
doi: 10.3390/ijms23031222.

Biological Effects of Indole-3-Propionic Acid, a Gut Microbiota-Derived Metabolite, and Its Precursor Tryptophan in Mammals' Health and Disease

Piotr Konopelski  1 , Izabella Mogilnicka  1
Affiliations
Review

Biological Effects of Indole-3-Propionic Acid, a Gut Microbiota-Derived Metabolite, and Its Precursor Tryptophan in Mammals' Health and Disease

Piotr Konopelski et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Actions of symbiotic gut microbiota are in dynamic balance with the host's organism to maintain homeostasis. Many different factors have an impact on this relationship, including bacterial metabolites. Several substrates for their synthesis have been established, including tryptophan, an exogenous amino acid. Many biological processes are influenced by the action of tryptophan and its endogenous metabolites, serotonin, and melatonin. Recent research findings also provide evidence that gut bacteria-derived metabolites of tryptophan share the biological effects of their precursor. Thus, this review aims to investigate the biological actions of indole-3-propionic acid (IPA), a gut microbiota-derived metabolite of tryptophan. We searched PUBMED and Google Scholar databases to identify pre-clinical and clinical studies evaluating the impact of IPA on the health and pathophysiology of the immune, nervous, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular system in mammals. IPA exhibits a similar impact on the energetic balance and cardiovascular system to its precursor, tryptophan. Additionally, IPA has a positive impact on a cellular level, by preventing oxidative stress injury, lipoperoxidation and inhibiting synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines. Its synthesis can be diminished in the presence of different risk factors of atherosclerosis. On the other hand, protective factors, such as the introduction of a Mediterranean diet, tend to increase its plasma concentration. IPA seems to be a promising new target, linking gut health with the cardiovascular system.

Keywords: cardiovascular system; gut microbiota; indole-3-propionic acid; oxidative stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Simplified representation of metabolic pathways of tryptophan in mammals. Tryptophan can be metabolized by host’s own cells (endogenous pathways, grey arrows) and by symbiotic gut microbiota (bacterial pathways, black arrow). TpH–tryptophan hydroxylase; TDO–tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase; IDO–indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase; TAA–tryptophan aminotransferase; ArAT–aromatic amino acid aminotransferase.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Protective effects of indole-3-propionic acid (IPA) on cellular and tissue level. GBB- gut-blood barrier; ROS–reactive oxygen species.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Schematic representation of study protocol of papers evaluating synthesis and biological effects of IPA. Black arrows show steps of the review process. IPA–indole-3-propionic acid.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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