Abstract
Dietary fiber is well known to affect intestinal cell proliferation. Both high fermentation ratio and high viscosity are essential for this proliferative action. In our study, two possible mechanisms are suggested which may be responsible for the proliferative actions induced by pectin supplementation. One is a humoral factor, glucagon-like peptide 2, and the other is an effect of short chain fatty acids. Especially, butyrate, one of the short chain fatty acids, is produced in the cecum and colon by bacterial fermentation. Butyrate has anti-inflammatory effects as well as significant proliferative effects in the intestine, and a butyrate enema or oral administration of Clostridium butyricum M588, which produces butyrate in the cecum and colon, have significant therapeutic benefits on DSS colitis. Germinated barley foodstuff (GBF) is made from brewer's spent grain, and contains glutamine rich protein and hemicellulose. It has already been shown in animal models and chinical trials that GBF is effective for attenuating or maintaining ulcerative colitis, and GBF has been approred for chinieal use. Its therapeutic effects are associated with an increased fecal butyrate level. Furthermore, lectins also have proliferative effects on the intestine. In our present study, lectins were shown to attenuate some intestinal injury models, and may be beneficial as a treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.
