Dietary flavonoids, perspectives on the regulation of intestinal inflammation

Abstract

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that manifests with abdominal pain, tissue damage, colon shortening, weight loss, diarrhea, and bleeding; and kit is a risk factor for the development of colorectal cancer. However, reducing colon inflammation lessens the signs and symptoms of this condition, and even in its early stages, its development is halted and reversed. Natural, low-cost, and side-effect-free anti-inflammatory treatments represent a window of opportunity in countries with emerging economies. Flavonoids are a group of polyphenols present in plants and fruits, some of which are used in traditional medicine to reduce colon inflammation (colitis) and other conditions. The pharmacological mechanisms of this group of compounds are broad-spectrum, intervening in the regulation of colonic microbiota populations, protection against oxidative stress, preservation of epithelial barrier function, as well as immunomodulatory properties. This review mentions the main flavonoids that are part of the diet. We describe some of their inflammation-regulating mechanisms and contrast them with immune evasion in colitis-associated colorectal cancer.