Butyric acid, a short-chain fatty acid, is a major energy source for colonocytes. It occurs in small quantities in some foods, and in the human body, it is produced in the large intestine by intestinalkacteria. This production can be reduced in some cases, for which butyric acid supplementation...
The aetiology of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), which are primarily Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, still remains unclear, while the incidence of IBD is constantly increasing, especially in the industrialised countries. Among genetic, environmental, and immunological factors,...
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one of the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). It is a chronic autoimmune inflammation of unclear etiology affecting the colon and rectum, characterized by unpredictable exacerbation and remission phases. Conventional treatment options for UC include mesalamine, glucocorticoids, immunosuppressants, and biologics. The management of UC is challenging, and other therapeutic options are constantly being sought. In recent years more attention is being paid to curcumin, a main active polyphenol found in the turmeric root, which has numerous beneficial effects in the human body, including anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, and antioxidative properties targeting several cellular pathways and making an impact on intestinal microbiota. This review will summarize the current knowledge on the role of curcumin in the UC therapy.