title: Treatment of ulcerative colitis with germinated barley foodstuff feeding: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Germinated barley foodstuff (GBF) has been shown to attenuate intestinal injury in animal models, largely by increasing luminal short-chain fatty acid production.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the safety and efficacy of GBF in the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten patients with active UC received 30 g of GBF daily for 4 weeks in an open-label treatment protocol while the baseline anti-inflammatory therapy was continued. The response to treatment was evaluated clinically and endoscopically. Pre- and post-treatment stool concentrations of short-chain fatty acids were measured by gas-liquid chromatography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients showed improvement in their clinical activity index scores, with a significant decrease in the score from 6.9+/-1.4 to 2.8+/-1.5 (mean+/-S.E.M., P < 0.05). The endoscopic index score fell from 6.1+/-2.3 to 3.8+/-2.3 (P < 0.0001). Patients showed an increase in stool butyrate concentrations after GBF treatment (P < 0.05). No side-effects were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral GBF therapy may have a place in management of ulcerative colitis, but controlled studies are needed to demonstrate its efficacy in the treatment of this disorder.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan. ibd@med.kurume-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mitsuyama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saiki
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kanauchi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwanaga
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tomiyasu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishiyama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tateishi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shirachi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ide
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Noguchi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Toyonaga
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sata
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000178:diet therapy*; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000032:analysis; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D018525:Germination; D001467:Hordeum / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile