Short-chain Fatty Acids and Human Health: from Metabolic Pathways to Current Therapeutic Implication
Sonia Facchin, Luisa Bertin, Erica Bonazzi, Greta Lorenzon, Caterina De Barba, Brigida Barberio +6 more
Preprints.org
Abstract
The gastrointestinal tract is colonized by trillions of different microorganisms, named the gut microbiota, which is key to degrade undigested food such as dietary fibers. The fermentation of these food components leads to the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) acetate, propionate, and butyrate, which exploit several beneficial roles for the host’s health. Their production and absorption happen in different ways in the human intestine and depend on the type of dietary fiber reaching the gut and the microorganisms involved in the fermentation. The supplementation of SCFAs, mostly butyrate, in treating gastrointestinal, metabolic, cardiovascular, and gut-brain-related diseases has been reported in the medical literature. This review aims to give an overview of the production and absorption dynamics of acetate, propionate, and butyrate in the human gut, with a final focus on the role played by these SCFAs on gastrointestinal and metabolic health and the present therapeutic implications.
Extracted Claims
3 claims extracted from this paper into the knowledge graph
acetate, propionate, and butyrate play a role in gastrointestinal and metabolic health
“The supplementation of SCFAs, mostly butyrate, in treating gastrointestinal, metabolic, cardiovascular, and gut-brain-related diseases has been reported in the medical literature.”
butyrate play a role in gastrointestinal and metabolic health
“The supplementation of SCFAs, mostly butyrate, in treating gastrointestinal, metabolic, cardiovascular, and gut-brain-related diseases has been reported in the medical literature.”
short-chain fatty acids exploit several beneficial roles for the host's health
“The fermentation of these food components leads to the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) acetate, propionate, and butyrate, which exploit several beneficial roles for the host’s health.”