Chapter 5 - Gut microbiome-derived metabolites in host health and diseases

Abstract

The gut microbiome plays a fundamental role in our intestinal, metabolic, immune, and neurocognitive health. Emerging evidence shows a complex and diverse array of interactions between our diets and gut microbiome homeostasis. Perturbations in gut microbiome composition (the gut dysbiosis) have been implicated in certain diseases, including obesity, type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, allergy, and neurocognitive disorders. In addition to the gut microbiome dysbiosis, the metabolites derived from the gut microbes have also been shown to act as a critical regulator in these disorders. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), the primary metabolites of the gut microbiome, are one of the main mechanisms via which the gut microbiome influence and regulate host health. SCFAs (e.g., acetate, propionate, and butyrate) perform many vital functions of host metabolism, immunity, cellular signaling, and homeostasis. However, their precise mechanisms of action are only beginning to be understood. In these milieus, this chapter reviews the current understanding of the gut microbiome-derived metabolites viz. SCFAs and discusses their mechanisms of action involved in the regulation of host health.