A team of international researchers, led by scientists from the University of Toronto, has discovered a compound in ginger that may help treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
The compound, called furanodienone (FDN), interacts with a specific protein in the body to reduce inflammation in the colon.
IBD, which includes conditions like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is a chronic illness that causes abdominal pain, diarrhea, and gut inflammation.
The disease often begins in childhood or early adulthood, with around 25% of patients diagnosed before they turn 20.
There is no cure, and treatments mainly focus on managing symptoms. These treatments can be expensive and sometimes cause serious side effects.
Many people with IBD try dietary changes or herbal supplements to ease their symptoms, but it has been unclear which specific ingredients provide real benefits. This study sheds new light on how a natural compound from ginger might work as a treatment.
The researchers conducted a screening process to find out which chemicals in ginger might interact with proteins linked to IBD.
They found that FDN strongly binds to a receptor in the body known as pregnane X receptor (PXR). This receptor helps control inflammation and detoxify foreign substances like toxins and drugs.
When FDN activates PXR, it lowers the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines—molecules that drive inflammation. This helps reduce swelling and damage in the gut. The researchers tested FDN by giving it to mice and found that it significantly reduced inflammation in their colons.
An additional benefit of FDN is its ability to strengthen the gut lining. It increases the production of proteins called tight junctions, which help repair damage caused by IBD. This is crucial because a weakened gut lining allows harmful substances to pass into the bloodstream, worsening inflammation.
Most existing treatments for IBD involve suppressing the immune system to control inflammation. However, these medications can make patients more vulnerable to infections and cause liver damage. In contrast, FDN appears to target only the colon, reducing the risk of side effects in other parts of the body.
Because FDN is a small molecule, it only partially fills the binding pocket of PXR. This leaves space for another molecule to attach at the same time, making the anti-inflammatory effect even stronger.
However, researchers caution that over-activating PXR could increase the metabolism of certain drugs, which might affect their effectiveness. This means that careful dosing will be necessary when developing FDN-based treatments.
The discovery of FDN’s role in reducing inflammation is a step toward developing new IBD treatments that are safer and more affordable.
Unlike synthetic drugs, natural compounds like FDN may be able to regulate the body’s systems with greater precision. Since ginger is widely available and inexpensive, it offers a promising alternative for millions of IBD patients worldwide.
Professor Henry Krause, the study’s lead researcher, points out that IBD cases are rising, especially in countries where diets are shifting toward highly processed foods high in fat and sugar. He believes that using a ginger-derived treatment could be a more effective and safer option than existing therapies.
This study highlights the potential of natural products in medicine and could pave the way for new, plant-based treatments for chronic diseases like IBD. With further research, FDN could become an important tool in managing gut inflammation without the risks associated with current medications.
For more information about gut health, please see recent studies about the crucial link between diet, gut health, and the immune system and results showing that Low-gluten, high-fiber diets boost gut health and weight loss.
For more information about gut health, please see recent studies about Navigating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with diet and results showing that Mycoprotein in diet may reduce risk of bowel cancer and improve gut health.
The research findings can be found in Nature Communications.
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