Gut Microbiota Metabolites in the Immunoregulation of Enteritis: Research Progress

Jian Lu^1*Shaochen Yu²Mengjie Zhang¹Ziyue Dou¹Beibei Tian¹

• ¹First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
• ²Chuzhou Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital, Chuzhou, China

The interaction between gut microbiota metabolites and the host immune system plays a crucial role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis and in the development of inflammatory bowel disease and other enteric conditions. This article presents a systematic review of the sources and functions of short-chain fatty acids, tryptophan metabolites, bile acids, and other microbial metabolites, focussing on how these metabolites regulate the function of immune cells, such as T cells, B cells, neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells, as well as key inflammatory signalling pathways, including the NF-κB, NLRP3 inflammasome, and JAK–STAT pathways, thereby influencing intestinal barrier integrity. Also explored are potential therapeutic strategies based on microbial metabolites, including the application status and prospects of probiotic and prebiotic interventions, the direct administration of metabolites, and faecal microbiota transplantation. Although current research faces challenges such as unclear mechanisms, significant differences among individuals, and barriers to clinical translation, the development of multiomics technologies and precision medicine holds promise for providing more effective and personalized treatment strategies targeting gut microbiota metabolites for patients with enteritis.