{"title":"Volatile Organic Compounds in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Microbial Insights into Gut-Brain Dynamics and Clinical Applications.","authors":"Dinh Chuong Nguyen, Sutep Gonlachanvit, Thanikan Sukaram, Tanisa Patcharatrakul","doi":"10.1159/000548310","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) affects 4.1% of the global population, posing a significant healthcare challenge due to its complex pathophysiology and limited treatment options. Gut microbiota-derived volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are increasingly recognized as key players in IBS, with the potential for non-invasive diagnostics and personalized management.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>This review examines VOCs-such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), hydrocarbons, and alcohols-as microbial metabolites influencing IBS through gut barrier function, inflammation, motility, and gut-brain signaling. Cross-sectional studies highlight the diagnostic accuracy of VOCs (Area Under the Curve (AUC) 0.76-0.99) in distinguishing IBS from healthy controls (HC) and conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), while longitudinal studies underscore their utility in predicting and reflecting microbial changes to microbiota-targeted therapies. Despite this promise, variability in study designs, methodological inconsistencies, and confounding factors hinder clinical translation.</p><p><strong>Key messages: </strong>VOCs illuminate the microbial underpinnings of IBS and its gut-brain interactions, offering a pathway to precise diagnosis and treatment stratification. However, their full potential awaits standardized sampling, analytical protocols, and robust clinical trials to ensure reliability and applicability in IBS care.</p>","PeriodicalId":11315,"journal":{"name":"Digestion","volume":" ","pages":"1-14"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Digestion","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000548310","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"GASTROENTEROLOGY & HEPATOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) affects 4.1% of the global population, posing a significant healthcare challenge due to its complex pathophysiology and limited treatment options. Gut microbiota-derived volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are increasingly recognized as key players in IBS, with the potential for non-invasive diagnostics and personalized management.
Summary: This review examines VOCs-such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), hydrocarbons, and alcohols-as microbial metabolites influencing IBS through gut barrier function, inflammation, motility, and gut-brain signaling. Cross-sectional studies highlight the diagnostic accuracy of VOCs (Area Under the Curve (AUC) 0.76-0.99) in distinguishing IBS from healthy controls (HC) and conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), while longitudinal studies underscore their utility in predicting and reflecting microbial changes to microbiota-targeted therapies. Despite this promise, variability in study designs, methodological inconsistencies, and confounding factors hinder clinical translation.
Key messages: VOCs illuminate the microbial underpinnings of IBS and its gut-brain interactions, offering a pathway to precise diagnosis and treatment stratification. However, their full potential awaits standardized sampling, analytical protocols, and robust clinical trials to ensure reliability and applicability in IBS care.
期刊介绍:
''Digestion'' concentrates on clinical research reports: in addition to editorials and reviews, the journal features sections on Stomach/Esophagus, Bowel, Neuro-Gastroenterology, Liver/Bile, Pancreas, Metabolism/Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Oncology. Papers cover physiology in humans, metabolic studies and clinical work on the etiology, diagnosis, and therapy of human diseases. It is thus especially cut out for gastroenterologists employed in hospitals and outpatient units. Moreover, the journal''s coverage of studies on the metabolism and effects of therapeutic drugs carries considerable value for clinicians and investigators beyond the immediate field of gastroenterology.