Effects of an oral supplementation of germinated barley foodstuff on serum tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6 and -8 in patients with ulcerative colitis

Abstract

Background: The efficacy of germinated barley foodstuff (GBF) on tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and -8 (IL-8) in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) has not yet been examined. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of administration of GBF on serum TNF-a, IL-6 and -8 levels in UC patients in remission. Methods: Forty-one patients with UC were divided into two groups, namely control and GBF group. Twenty-one patients in the control group received standard treatment while 20 patients in the GBF group received 30 g of GBF daily by oral administration during two months of the study along with standard drug therapy. Results: Levels of TNF-a, IL-6 and -8 all decreased in the GBF group compared with baseline during the two-month study, while in the control group all values rose. For IL-6 and -8 this effect was significant, P ¼ 0.034 and 0.013, respectively. Conclusions:The results of the present study showed that the consumption of GBF may reduce the level of serum TNF-a, IL-6 and -8 in patients with UC. This investigation was designed as a pilot study and the results may provide a basis for more future clinical trials.

Short-chain fatty acids, prebiotics, synbiotics, and systemic inflammation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Abstracts from 150 articles met the inclusion criteria and the full texts were retrieved for further review. Data extraction and assessment of methodologic quality were performed on the 75 articles that met the review criteria, of which 7 were excluded due to negative methodologic quality (20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26).…”

The intestinal microbiota and its role in human health and disease

“…In small -scale multi -center open trial, patients treated with 20-30 g of GBF for 24 week showed significant decrease in clinical activity index (CAI) (41). Randomized controlled trials also showed decrease of CAI and prolonged remission period by 20 g of GBF for 12 months (42), reduced level of serum TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8 and serum CRP level by 30 g of GBF for 2 months (43,44). However, a large, double -blind, placebo-controlled trial is not yet reported.…”

Nutritional Therapy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

“…On the other side, several studies using fiber-rich supplements such as wheat or oat bran [83,84], psyllium [85,86], and germinated barley foodstuff [87,88] revealed their efficacy in symptomatic improvement and in decreasing disease activity indices either in CD or UC patients. Moreover, reduced concentrations of inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8, pointed to the possible anti-inflammatory effect of dietary fiber, probably through their influence on microbiota and SCFA production [89].…”

“…Moreover, reduced concentrations of inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8, pointed to the possible anti-inflammatory effect of dietary fiber, probably through their influence on microbiota and SCFA production [89].…”