Dietary fibers and their fermented short-chain fatty acids in prevention of human diseases

Abstract

Many studies show that daily consumption of high-fiber diet is associated with a reduced risk of developing kidney stones, inflammatory disease, colon cancer and other malignancies, obesity, type II diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Dietary fibers are non-digestible polysaccharides that are composed of complex carbohydrates. Based on their relative solubility in water, dietary fibers can be divided into insoluble and soluble forms. An important property of insoluble fibers is their ability to bind with carcinogens, mutagens, and other toxic chemicals that are formed during digestion of food and eliminate them through the feces. Soluble fibers can often be degraded to short-chain fatty acids, such as butyrate, propionate, and acetate by microbial fermentation. This review discusses mechanisms of action of fibers and their beneficial effects on the GI tract as well as on other organs. Among short-chain fatty acids, butyrate has been most extensively studied and the effects of sodium butyrate on cell culture and animal models are discussed in order to emphasize its potential value in prevention of certain diseases.

Maternal Microbiota, Cortisol Concentration, and Post-Partum Weight Recovery Are Dependent on Mode of Delivery

“…The bacteria that dominated in cluster I are commonly related to the health status of the non-pregnant human microbiota [ 50 , 51 ], mainly due to their ability to produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) [ 51 ], which is derived from their capacity to metabolize certain dietary compounds, including fiber [ 52 , 53 ]. Propionate, acetate, and butyrate are all associated with multiple functions in the gut and other host systems [ 54 ], and they are considered to be the metabolites that control the interplay between the diet, microbiota, and host metabolism [ 55 ].…”

Dietary Fibre from Whole Grains and Their Benefits on Metabolic Health

“…These SCFAs include butyrate, acetate and propionate and have different functional properties in the human body. Butyrate, for example, is known to reduce the progression of atherosclerosis, while propionate is known to inhibit cholesterol synthesis and its accumulation in the liver [ 92 ]. High blood cholesterol levels were identified as a risk factor for the incidence of CVDs [ 62 ].…”

Tributyrin‐supplemented high‐soya bean meal diets of juvenile black sea bream, Acanthopagrus schlegelii : Study on growth performance and intestinal morphology and structure

“…According to the number of carbon atoms, fatty acids with 1–6 carbon chain lengths are designated short‐chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Short‐chain fatty acids are the main products of the fermentation of indigestible carbohydrates by the gut microbiota (Macfarlane & Macfarlane, ; Prasad & Bondy, ). Of the SCFAs, butyrate has received particular attention as a feed additive and has been evaluated as a potential alternative to NAGPs (Defoirdt, Boon, Sorgeloos, Verstraete, & Bossier, ; Huyghebaert, Ducatelle, & Van Immerseel, ).…”