Preprint Review Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Short-chain Fatty Acids and Human Health: from Metabolic Pathways to Current Therapeutic Implication

Version 1 : Received: 26 March 2024 / Approved: 27 March 2024 / Online: 27 March 2024 (06:39:18 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Facchin, S.; Bertin, L.; Bonazzi, E.; Lorenzon, G.; De Barba, C.; Barberio, B.; Zingone, F.; Maniero, D.; Scarpa, M.; Ruffolo, C.; Angriman, I.; Savarino, E.V. Short-Chain Fatty Acids and Human Health: From Metabolic Pathways to Current Therapeutic Implications. Life 2024, 14, 559. Facchin, S.; Bertin, L.; Bonazzi, E.; Lorenzon, G.; De Barba, C.; Barberio, B.; Zingone, F.; Maniero, D.; Scarpa, M.; Ruffolo, C.; Angriman, I.; Savarino, E.V. Short-Chain Fatty Acids and Human Health: From Metabolic Pathways to Current Therapeutic Implications. Life 2024, 14, 559.

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.

Keywords

intestinal microbiota; short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs); dietary fiber fermentation; gastrointestinal and metabolic health; therapeutic implication

Subject

Biology and Life Sciences, Life Sciences

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