Faecalibacterium

Faecalibacterium is a genus of anaerobic, non-spore-forming commensal bacteria that constitutes one of the most abundant microbial groups in the healthy human gut. Its primary species, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, is recognized as a key indicator of intestinal health due to its ability to produce butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid essential for colonocyte energy and the maintenance of the gut mucosal barrier (Sokol et al., 2008; Miquel et al., 2013). The bacterium exerts significant anti-inflammatory effects by inducing the production of IL-10 and suppressing the NF-kappaB pathway, partially through the secretion of a 15-kDa protein known as the Microbial Anti-inflammatory Molecule (MAM) (Martín et al., 2017). A marked depletion of Faecalibacterium is consistently associated with various inflammatory and metabolic disorders, including Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and type 2 diabetes (Ferreira-Halder et al., 2017). Consequently, it is an emerging therapeutic target in the field of microbiome-based medicine, where it is being developed as a next-generation probiotic or Live Biotherapeutic Product (LBP). Therapeutic strategies focus on increasing its abundance through prebiotic supplementation, such as inulin, or via the direct administration of live strains to restore microbial diversity and alleviate chronic inflammation (Heinken et al., 2014; Khan et al., 2012).

Other names

Faecalibacterium prausnitziiFusobacterium prausnitziiF. prausnitzii

Promotion of intestinal health via the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate and the secretion of anti-inflammatory peptides, such as the Microbial Anti-inflammatory Molecule (MAM), which inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokine production.