Digestive dynamics: Unveiling interplay between the gut microbiota and the liver in macronutrient metabolism and hepatic metabolic health

Abstract

Although the liver is the largest metabolic organ in the body, it is not alone in functionality and is assisted by “an organ inside an organ,” the gut microbiota. This review attempts to shed light on the partnership between the liver and the gut microbiota in the metabolism of macronutrients (i.e., proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids). All nutrients absorbed by the small intestines are delivered to the liver for further metabolism. Undigested food that enters the colon is metabolized further by the gut microbiota that produces secondary metabolites, which are absorbed into portal circulation and reach the liver. These microbiota‐derived metabolites and co‐metabolites include ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, short‐chain fatty acids, secondary bile acids, and trimethylamine N‐oxide. Further, the liver produces several compounds, such as bile acids that can alter the gut microbial composition, which can in turn influence liver health. This review focuses on the metabolism of these microbiota metabolites and their influence on host physiology. Furthermore, the review briefly delineates the effect of the portosystemic shunt on the gut microbiota–liver axis, and current understanding of the treatments to target the gut microbiota–liver axis.