Potential beneficial effects of butyrate in intestinal and extraintestinal diseases

Table 2 Possible therapeutic indications of butyrate in gastroenterology

Functions	Therapeutic indications	Potential applications
Regulation of fluid and electrolyte uptake	Acute gastroenteritis[9,10]	Irritable bowel syndrome[80]
	Cholera[7,8]	Aspecific chronic diarrhea[4]
	Congenital chloride diarrhea[11,12]	Traveler’s diarrhea[4]
		Antibiotic associated diarrhea[4,20]
		Chronic secretory diarrhea[4]
		Cystic fibrosis[14,19]
		Mucosal atrophy in malnutrition[101]
Effects on proliferation and differentiation of epithelial intestinal cells	Acute gastroenteritis[9,10]	Mucosal atrophy in total parenteral nutrition[101,102]
	IBD[53-65]	Mucosal atrophy in radiotherapy or chemotherapy[101]
		Short bowel syndrome and intestinal failure[103]
		Prevention of colorectal cancer[46]
		Intestinal polyposis[104]
Anti-inflammatory effect	IBD[53-65]	Pouchitis[105]
		Allergic colitis[106]

IBD: Inflammatory bowel disease.