Author:

Keywords:

Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Neurosciences, Physiology, Neurosciences & Neurology, colonic fermentation, metabolism, short-chain fatty acids, stable isotopes, systemic exposure, Adult, Capsules, Carbon Isotopes, Cholesterol, Colon, Cross-Over Studies, Fatty Acids, Volatile, Female, Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Glucose, Healthy Volunteers, Humans, Male, Young Adult, 06 Biological Sciences, 11 Medical and Health Sciences, 31 Biological sciences, 32 Biomedical and clinical sciences, 42 Health sciences

Abstract:

The short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are bacterial metabolites produced during the colonic fermentation of undigested carbohydrates, such as dietary fibre and prebiotics, and can mediate the interaction between the diet, the microbiota and the host. We quantified the fraction of colonic administered SCFAs that could be recovered in the systemic circulation, the fraction that was excreted via the breath and urine, and the fraction that was used as a precursor for glucose, cholesterol and fatty acids. This information is essential for understanding the molecular mechanisms by which SCFAs beneficially affect physiological functions such as glucose and lipid metabolism and immune function.