Use of branched chain fatty acids (bcfas) for the treatment of intestinal inflammation

The gut microbiota produces a wide variety of metabolites, which interact with intestinal cells by modulating either gene transcription or post-translational modifications of gut proteins. The effect of gut commensal bacteria on SUMOylation, an essential ubiquitin-like modification in intestinal physiology, remains however unknown. Here, the inventors show that branched chain fatty acids (BCFAs) increase protein SUMOylation in different intestinal cell lines. They demonstrated that the hyperSUMOylation induced by BCFAs inhibits the activation of the NF-κB pathway by blocking the degradation of the inhibitory factor ΙκBα in response to TNFα. This results in a decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines expression as well as a decrease in intestinal epithelial permeability in response to TNFα. Accordingly, the present invention relates to the use of Branched Chain Fatty Acids (BCFAs) for the treatment of diseases associated with intestinal inflammation such as Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.