Action and function of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in health and disease

Publication date: Available online 18 September 2017 Source:Best Practice & Research Clinical Gastroenterology Author(s): Carmen Veríssima Ferreira-Halder, Alessandra Valéria de Sousa Faria, Sheila Siqueira Andrade Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, anaerobic bacteria, is one of the main components of gut microbiota and the most important butyrate-producing bacteria in the human colon. So far, this commensal bacterium has been considered as a bioindicator of human health, once when its population is altered (decreased), inflammatory processes are favored. Several reports in the literature highlighted that the amount of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii negatively correlates to the activity of inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer. Therefore, counterbalancing dysbiosis using Faecalibacterium prausnitzii as a potential active component of probiotic formulations appears to be a promising therapeutic strategy for inflammatory bowel diseases and colorectal cancer. However, once this microbial is very sensitive to oxygen, the formulation development is a great challenge. In this review, we will focus our attention on Faecalibacterium prausnitzii biology, anti-inflammatory metabolites, modulators of this bacterium population and its impact on human health.
Source: Best Practice and Research Clinical Gastroenterology - Category: Gastroenterology Source Type: research