Short Chain Fatty Acid: Production, Food Sources, and Health Benefits

This report discusses the production, food sources, and health benefits of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). It explores how SCFAs are produced in the body and their impact on overall health. The report also highlights the importance of fiber-rich foods in increasing SCFA production.

SHORT CHAIN FATTY
ACID

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Short chain fatty acids............................................................................................................3
Food sources of short chain fatty acids..................................................................................4
SCFA production by gut microbiota......................................................................................4
Site of SCFA production where they act................................................................................5
Health benefit of short chain fatty acid along with their impact on the body........................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) refers to the fatty acid which is having less than 5 carbon
atoms. This is having different role in the body which is either beneficial for the better health
along with in this report there are some of the discussion about the short chain fatty acids which
are there needed in the body for the better health. There is some discussion about the production
along with their production pathway which gives the brief understanding about how the short
chain fatty acid are produced in the body. There is also discussion about the site where they get
produced in which condition and which type of food are responsible for the production of SCFA.
There is also discussion about the how and where they are able to act along with this there is
discussion about the health benefits of SCFA and their impact on body (Lyudinina, 2018).
MAIN BODY
Short chain fatty acids
SCFAs are the fatty acids which are having less than 5 carbon atoms. Short chain fatty
acids (SCFAs) refers to the main metabolites which is produced by microbiota. Microbiota is
there in the large intestine where anaerobic fermentation is there which is of indigestible
polysaccharides like resistant starch along with dietary fiber. There is some chances that SCFAs
is able to influence the brain function along with gut-brain communication either directly or
indirectly. Short chain fatty acid are one of the main source of nutrition for cells which is there in
colon. They may also play some important role in reference to disease and health. They may be
the which can be responsible for reducing the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity,
inflammatory diseases and some of other conditions (Kong, 2016).
Excess short chain fatty acids are there which can used in the other functions in the
human body, they are also able to provide the daily calorie need which is about 10% in nature.
SCFAs are the one which are there involved in metabolism of different nutrients such as fat and
carbs. Acetate, Propionate and Butyrate are in our body which is there about 95% of whole short
chain of fatty acid. To produce glucose in liver Propionate can be involved in this process where
butyrate along with acetate are able to incorporated in other fatty acid along with cholesterol.
There are many of the factors which are there can have the impact on the short chain fatty acid
amount which is there in the colon. There are different fermented foods which are made by

bacterial fermentation including butter, sauerkraut, yoghurt, cheese, alcoholic beverages, pickles,
soy sauce etc. (Khan, 2016).
Food sources of short chain fatty acids
Fiber rich foods are the one which are there can help in increase in the amount of short
chain fatty acids. Foods like fruits, legumes and vegetables are the fiber rich food. SCFA are
dependable on the composition of bacteria which is there in the gut and is able to get affected by
type of food along with amount.
There are some of the types of fiber which can help and are best for production of SCFAs
in colon (Nurdin, 2018).
 Resistant starch- Resistant starch can get from legumes, potatoes, green bananas, barley,
rice, beans, grains etc.
 Inulin- sources such as leeks, onions, garlic, wheat, artichokes, asparagus and rye.
 Arabinoxylan- cereal grains contains the Arabinoxylan. Wheat grain have about 70% of
Arabinoxylan which is most common.
 Pectin- Apples, carrots, apricots, oranges and others are good sources of pectin.
 Guar gum- This can be extracted from the guar beans, named legumes.
 Fructooligosaccharides (FOS)- They can be found in different vegetables or fruits like
bananas, asparagus, garlic or onions.
SCFA production by gut microbiota
SCFAs production is mainly through the saccharolytic fermentation of carbohydrates
which escape the digestion along with absorption process in small intestine. Lactate refers to the
major organic acid which is produced from the fermentable NDCs. Metagenomic approaches are
there which have facilitated the characterization of bacteria and is responsible for SCFA
production. Production pathway of Acetate are widely distributed in group of bacteria pathway
for propionate production. Deoxy sugars like fucose along with rhamnose are propiogenic due to
presence of metabolic pathway to reduce the carbon skeleton. Resistant sstarch fermentation is
through contribution of butyrate production n colon which is dominated by Ruminococcus
bromii (Tian, 2017). There is link between the microbiome composition, diet and SCFA
production, are relatively characterised and difficult to find out. In silico modeling, there is
complex dynamic relationship which is between the microbiota compaositio, substrate
production, dietary substrate which holds the promise and enable predictions of short chain fatty

acids production through the interaction of diet-gut microbiome. There is lack of method which
can help in to measure the SCFA production and in recently, stable isotope technique are able to
hold the promise. There are some observation in human that are largely rely on measurement of
SCFA stool output. There is not confirmation that either stool of SCFA output can be suitable
proxy in place of luminal SCFA production (Barroso and Guil, 2017).
Site of SCFA production where they act
To consider the site of SCFA production is important, it is also important to consider the
biological gradient which is across the different down stream tissue to understand fully short
chain fatty acids biological effects in human. Oral SCFA are able to observed and oxidised
rapidly. There are high circulating concentration in SCFA, other than acetate, can be observed in
acidaemic disease and can be found impacts on its metabolism due to toxicity of organic acids at
higher concentration. Oral short chain fatty acid leads to high circulating in animals. In context
to study on animal they use the dietary fiber supplement which is there to manipulate the colonic
SCFA and tends to use high fiber supplement. According to the UK national Diet and Nutrition
survey, human daily DMI which includes the total fat, sum of proteins, total carbohydrate,
micronutrients along with vitamins may be obtained. Average daily DMI which is from the
NDNS survey for women and men are calculated at 326.3 g/d and 418.3 g/d respectively. There
are many of the data there which is from the NDNS in which about there is need of dietary fiber
in take as the diet is 14.7 g/d for men, aged between 19-64 along with this about 12.8 g/d for
women, aged 19-64 is there (Khalifa, 2018). Lowest supplementation level which are used in the
study of animal represents comparable substantial increase which is above dietary fiber in
compare to humans. There is presence of strong biological gradient which is for each and every
SCFA from gut lumen to periphery which are able to lead to differing tissues and cells in
exposure of SCFA. There is an observation that seminal work which is in sudden death victim
were to highlight in significant reduction of butyrate, in relation to propionate and acetate across
gut epithelium. There is also reduction in propionate in relation to acetate within the human liver.

Major production site is gut lumen but there is fall in the concentration gradient in the
lumen to periphery which is selective uptake at epithelium, in periphery there is propionate at
liver along with acetate.
Health benefit of short chain fatty acid along with their impact on the body
There are different health benefits of short chain fatty acid which are there described in further
discussion.
Acetate-Acetate is able to keep the environment of gut stable along with nourishes
different beneficial bacteria species in colon. Acetate is highly responsible for the production of
SCFAs by gut bacteria. Due to this, compounds are responsible for the overall health along with
well being. Acetate is generally producted by the Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria along with this
there are also like Akkermansia munciniphila, Ruminococcus supp, and prevotella spp. Are also
to make this too. It can be explained by using the example that when any person take the fibre
food then it passes through the GI tract to gut. Here bacteria like Bifidobacteria, make it into
Acetate. Short chain fatty acid is then use by Firmicutes which makes another type of metabolite,
which is said to be the vital source of energy for the gut cells. This acetate plays an important
role in maintaining the pH of gut. This helps in to keep the environment of the gut stable. This
also helps in keep the human body gut enough acidic so that beneficial microbes are able to
survive there (Li, and et. al., 2018).
Butyrate- This is the one which is responsible for the health as in the digestive system
along with this it also helps to prevent form the disease along with neurological conditions. Here

SCFA produced very less but having vital role in the better health of human. This helps in
combating from the inflammation which is one of the growing problem in theses days and
having the ability to damages human body along with this it also increase the chance of many
chronic diseases. Butyrate plays a vital role in the mental health in which it have the
multifunctional molecule and it not only good for gut health but it also helps in the brain too.
Highly fibrous food is also known for the positive effect for the cognition and nervous system
(Saccone and et. al., 2016).
Propionate- There are different health benefits of propionate which are there can't be
underestimated. This also works as the breakdown of the dietary fibres which is having many
health benefits. Propionate forms after the breakdown of bacteria. It is health promoting short
chain fatty acid which is having the reduced fat storage, anti inflammatory properties, cholesterol
lowering properties. These are the product of bacterial fermentation in large intestine in human
body. There are many people who are suffering form the obesity, In an study it is found that
when there is administration of propionate, it is able to decreased the energy intake by the
appetite hormones which is by 14% in buffet meal. In another study it has founded that there is
reduction in the body weight of quarter in overweight which is there in the 24 period of week
when there was supplementation of the participants with the propionate. It gives the anti
inflammatory effects in the body. This clearly means that it is able to protect form different
diseases which includes atherosclerosis, a condition in which there is accumulation of the fatty
plaques in the artery walls.
Lactate- Technically this is not a short chain fatty acid but it produced by the gut bacteria
and able to contribute in the health of the colon which is high. This is also a microbial metabolite
where some of the bacteria reside in gut which is through the breakdown of carbs. This plays a
role in the better health of gut along with this it produces bacteria and able to protect from
different diseases. This releases substances which are able to prevent pathogens which is from
setting up camp in gut of human. As per the name there is presence of Lactic acid bacteria which
are being used from centuries for the purpose of ferment foods and the process which also
preserves them. This is also beneficial for the immune system in which it acts as a mediator for
the production of pro along with anti-inflammatory cytokines. In gut, inflammation is reduced
with the help of lactate (Eun and et. al., 2020).

CONCLUSION
Form the above discussion, it can be concluded that there are different health benefits
there in the human body which is by the presence of short chain fatty acid. There are different
types of specification of SCFA which are there can help to prevent form different disease along
with this it also helps in to get over from the different types of inflammation. This report contains
the discussion of SCFA, its production, production site along with this there is also discussion
about the different health benefits which are there due to presence of SCFA in the body.

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