HealthAugust 16, 2026
indole
IN-dohl
Definition
A crystalline organic compound produced in the gut by the bacterial breakdown of the amino acid tryptophan, which can influence inflammatory processes.
Etymology
The word was coined in 1866 from a combination of the word 'indigo' (due to its first isolation from that dye) and the chemical suffix '-ole' denoting a compound.
In the news
The article uses the term to describe specific metabolites that scientists previously assumed were produced only by gut bacteria, but research shows can also be created by mammalian metabolism.
Scientists warn your gut bacteria could literally start ‘eating you’ if you don’t get enough fibre
Read the full article ↗UNILAD