Polyphenols in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are chronic diseases. The exact etiology of IBD is not well elucidated, however it is defined as a multifactorial disease. In addition, IBD carries the risk of serious complications and increases the risk of colorectal cancer. Also, in recent years, an increased rate of IBD cases has been noted. So far, there is no effective and well-defined therapy for IBD, and currently available drugs mainly provide symptomatic treatment. Unfortunately, conventional treatment does not always bring the expected benefits, moreover, it is often associated with unpleasant side effects. Currently, some research have been focused on unconventional forms of IBD treatment, testing therapies based on natural products. Individual polyphenols, as well as polyphenol-rich preparations and extracts are also valuable in IBD treatment through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and bactericidal activity. Moreover, described here results of clinical trials suggest that polyphenols can alleviate symptoms and prevent recurrence of IBD.