The gut microbiome in humans can be considered as an organ, which has functions critical for human metabolism, digestion, maintenance of gut barrier function and immunomodulation. Human metabolism is highly associated with altered microbiota composition.

Moreover, the gut microbiome has been linked to many diseases not classically associated with microbes, such as metabolic diseases including obesity and obesity-related complications such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), rheumatoid arthritis and psychiatric disorders. The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is considered the largest immunological organ in the body having a central role in regulating immune homeostasis, relying on the dynamic interactions between intestinal epithelial cells, immune cells and microbiome in shaping specific immune responses to antigens. The gut microbiota contributes to host physiology through the production of a myriad of metabolites. These metabolites exert their effects within the host as signaling molecules (“messengers”) and substrates for metabolic reactions, such as influencing human energetics, suppressing inflammation through distinct mechanisms, regulating intestinal epithelial cell homeostasis, immune cell response, and neuronal excitability, etc. Therefore, the study on gut microbial metabolite will be helpful in discovering the mechanisms of some diseases and developing appropriate and effective therapies.

TargetMol’s Gut Microbial metabolite Library collects 540 gut microbial metabolites which can be used in research of gut microbiome and its related drug development.