Combined butyric acid/mesalazine treatment in ulcerative colitis with mild-moderate activity. Results of a multicentre pilot study.

Aim: The short-chain fatty acid, acetate, propionate and butyrate are end products of fermentation by intestinal microflora of the indigestible material, mainly carbohydrates, reaching the colon and are essential for the vital function of the colonic cells. Butyric acid furnishes energy to the cells of the colon and may play an anti-inflammatory role in pathologies of large bowel. Low concentrations of butyrate and of short-chain fatty acids have been found in the colon of patients with ulcerative colitis and this may justify therapy with butyrate and mesalazine in this disease.