Tryptophan: impact on the intestinal microbiota of animals

Tryptophan: impact on the gut microbiota of animals. Gut microbiota and microbial metabolites are important for maintaining healthy intestines. It influences the extent and quality of the immune system’s response; and in turn the immune system is involved in regulating the location and composition of gut microbiota.

• Evidence of correlations between gut microbiota, microbial metabolites, and gut immune function has been demonstrated.

  Recent studies highlight the profound effects of diet and nutrients on the location and composition of the gut microbiota. In addition to underscoring its connection with immune pathways (Thorburn et al., 2014).   

L-tryptophan (Trp) and its endogenous metabolites are involved in intestinal immune homeostasis. Manipulation of intestinal microbial composition can modulate plasma concentrations of Trp and its metabolites (Clarke et al. , 2014). The microbiome, which consists of microorganisms and their collective genomes, modulates the host’s metabolic phenotype and influences its immune system (Gordon, 2012). Interactions between the gut microbiota and the host’s immune system begin at birth:

The microbiota influences the development of the immune system; and the immune system, in turn, shapes the composition of the gut microbiota (Nicholson and Wilson, 2003)