Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, recurrent inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract that includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. IBD patients are numerous and a complete cure is difficult to achieve. Due to impaired digestive function, food is not easily absorbed and malnutrition often occurs in patients. Nutritional therapy is often used to overcome nutritional deficiency and change the inflammatory state in the clinic. Amino acids are adjuvant therapeutic candidates that may help maintain intestinal integrity in patients with IBD. It maypromote the treatment of IBD through reducing the level of inflammation, oxidative stress, and intestinal cell death. Recent studies in animals have demonstrated the potential of using amino acids for treating IBD. The supply and metabolism of amino acids may be a promising adjuvant therapy. This review summarized the immunomodulatory effects of specific amino acids such as glutamine, arginine, and glycine, with the aim to provide new ideas for the treatment of IBD.
Keywords: amino acid; diet; immunoregulation; inflammatory bowel disease.