We have identified a new mechanism by which gut metabolite urolithin-A can be beneficial for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Typically, a right combination of phytochemical-rich diet and gut microbiome can produce active/beneficial metabolites in the gut. One such class is urolithins. Thus far, the famous notion in the field is Urolithin-A is an anti-inflammatory agent which provides a beneficial effect. However, we have for the first time discovered that urolithin-A plays a primary role in repairing barrier dysfunction through promoting overexpression of tight junctional proteins. Therefore, it provides the potential for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases. Additionally, based on the natural metabolite urolithin-A we have developed a synthetic analog which has more stability and potency in the treatment of IBDs.
"Enhancement of gut barrier integrity by a microbial metabolite through the Nrf2 pathway" Nat. Commun. 2019, 10, 89. Link
A short summary of the research