Indole-3-Propionate Unit Converter

Indole-3-propionate (IPA) is a metabolite of the amino acid tryptophan, produced exclusively by bacteria in your gut. Unlike most tryptophan metabolites, IPA is not made by your own cells.

IPA is one of the most potent naturally occurring antioxidants identified in the body. Once produced in the intestine, it is absorbed into the bloodstream and can cross the blood-brain barrier.

Measuring IPA in blood reflects the activity of specific tryptophan-metabolising gut bacteria and is increasingly studied as a biomarker for gut microbiome health, metabolic risk, and neuroprotection.

IPA is produced entirely by intestinal bacteria, most notably Clostridium sporogenes, which converts dietary tryptophan through a multi-step enzymatic pathway. Other contributing species include Peptostreptococcus anaerobius and Clostridium cadaveris.