Researchers at the University of Chicago have found a way of delivering butyrate to the gut, which could cure many food allergies. Earlier research indicated a connection between butyrate and food allergies, but the compound's foul smell and taste make it an impractical addition to the human digestive system.
The new research, which will be presented at the fall meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), has found a way to mask butyrate in polymeric micelles, which also survive digestion until they reach the lower gut, where they can deliver the butyrate. The researchers already have proven the process’ effectiveness against peanut allergies in mice.
“Some of the bacteria in the gut microbiome produce metabolites, such as butyrate, that foster the growth of beneficial bacteria and maintain the lining of the gut,” explained ScienceDaily. “If a person's microbiome is unhealthy and lacks these butyrate-producing bacteria, fragments of partially digested food can leak out of the gut and produce an immune reaction that results in an allergic response.
“After digestive juices released the butyrate in the lower gut … The treatment restored the gut's protective barrier and microbiome, in part by increasing production of peptides that kill off harmful bacteria, which made room for butyrate-producing bacteria,” ScienceDaily continued. “Most importantly, dosing allergic mice with the micelles prevented a life-threatening anaphylactic response when they were exposed to peanuts.”
The researchers believe the process can also treat other food allergies.
