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Indolepropionate

Meaning

Indolepropionate, or IPA, is a potent small-molecule metabolite derived exclusively from the microbial breakdown of the essential amino acid tryptophan within the gut lumen. It is a key signaling molecule that mediates the complex cross-talk between the gut microbiota and host physiology. As a neuroprotective and metabolic modulator, its concentration is increasingly studied as a biomarker for gut health and systemic homeostasis. This short-chain fatty acid derivative is gaining clinical recognition for its widespread effects.