Anti-inflammatory effects of probiotics and their metabolites: Possible role for epigenetic effects

Abstract

It may well be the case that an important part of future medicine is directed not only in the development of novel therapies which restore gut microbiota but also in the administration of preventative strategies through dietary intervention. Dietary changes contribute to 57 % of the total structural variation in gut microbiota, whereas genetic differences attribute no more than 12 %. As such a diet that is rich in complex carbohydrates not only promotes a healthy gut microbiota but also boosts the production of immunomodulatory short chain fatty acids (SCFA) which have HDAC inhibitory properties. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) have been observed across a wide range of naturally derived compounds which include sulforaphane from broccoli, diallyl disulfide from garlic, and curcumin from turmeric. Identification of potent anti-inflammatory effects of dietary compounds is worth investigating, particularly due to wide accessibility by the general public. Although our current knowledge of restoring gut microbiota through administration of probiotics and their metabolites and naturally derived HDACi is not complete. Future research is required to understand the mechanistic actions and pharmacokinetics involved in dietary HDACi and probiotics to aid in future developments of therapeutic modalities for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases. In this chapter we discuss the inflammasomes related in health and disease and outline current and novel therapies for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases including allergies, inflammatory bowel diseases, metabolic syndromes, and autism spectrum disorders.