The interplay between gut microbiota, short-chain fatty acids, and implications for host health and disease.

ABSTRACT: Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) - acetate, propionate, and butyrate - are important bacterial fermentation metabolites regulating many important aspects of human physiology. Decreases in the concentrations of any or multiple SCFAs are associated with various detrimental effects to the host. Previous research has broadly focused on gut microbiome produced SCFAs as a group, with minimal distinction between acetate, propionate, and butyrate independently, each with significantly different host effects. In this review, we comprehensively delineate the roles of these SCFAs with emphasis on receptor affinity, signaling pathway involvement, and net host physiologic effects. Butyrate is highlighted due to its unique role in gastrointestinal-associated functions, especially maintaining gut barrier

SUBMITTER: Hays KE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11407412 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature