Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent condition especially amongst high-fat food eaters, where the severity of symptoms ranges from asymptomatic conditions to varied symptoms like liver inflammation, swelling and fibrosis that leads to cirrhosis and liver cancer.

A research team at Tufts University revealed that good microbes in gastrointestinal tract could prevent liver inflammation, the major symptom of NAFLD. When the research was conducted on a mice model, they identified two key metabolites produced by the bacteria namely I3A and TA, which could ultimately reduce the severity of NAFLD.

Kyongbum Lee, Ph.D., professor of chemical and biological engineering at the School of Engineering at Tufts, said "We demonstrated that two of these metabolites – I3A and TA—attenuate the effects of inflammation in several ways. Their depletion clears the way for disease to progress toward more serious stages."

In order to treat NAFLD inflammation, the research team under Dr. Kyongbum Lee planned to increase the level of I3A and TA in gut region. But the higher TA level was found to be toxic. Hence, Dr. Kyongbum Lee said, "Our focus now is on I3A, where we will be exploring whether I3A or other microbiota metabolites can change the course of the disease."