Abstract
Short chain fatty acids (SCFA) are the major products of carbohydrate fermentation by gut bacteria. Different carbohydrates are associated with characteristic SCFA profiles although the mechanisms are unclear. The individual SCFA profile may determine any resultant health benefits. Understanding determinants of individual SCFA production would enable substrate choice to be tailored for colonic SCFA manipulation. To test the hypothesis that the orientation and position of the glycosidic bond is a determinant of SCFA production profile, a miniaturized in vitro human colonic batch fermentation model was used to study a range of isomeric glucose disaccharides. Diglucose α(1-1) fermentation led to significantly higher butyrate production (p < 0.01) and a lower proportion of acetate (p < 0.01) compared with other α bonded diglucoses. Diglucose β(1-4) also led to significantly higher butyrate production (p < 0.05) and significantly increased the proportions of propionate and butyrate compared with diglucose α(1-4) (p < 0.05). There was no significant effect of glycosidic bond configuration on absolute propionate production. Despite some differences in the SCFA production of different glucose disaccharides, there was no clear relationship between SCFA production and bond configuration, suggesting that other factors may be responsible for promoting selective SCFA production by the gut microbiota from different carbohydrates.
Highlights
There is increasing evidence that bioactive molecules produced during colonic bacterial fermentation play a central role in the beneficial effects of non-digestible carbohydrates (NDC) [1].Dietary NDC are the major fermentable component of dietary fiber and have been associated with positive health outcomes related to appetite regulation, body composition and metabolic health [2,3].Short chain fatty acids (SCFA) are the main products of saccharolytic bacterial fermentation of NDC, with acetate, propionate, and butyrate being the principal SCFA produced [4]
Production and bond configuration, suggesting that other factors may be responsible for promoting selective SCFA production by the gut microbiota from different carbohydrates
With increased interest in the effects of SCFA on human metabolic health [2], there is a growing need to understand how NDCs and the gut microbiota interact to yield different patterns of SCFA production and if certain profiles are related to improved health outcomes
Summary
Dietary NDC are the major fermentable component of dietary fiber and have been associated with positive health outcomes related to appetite regulation, body composition and metabolic health [2,3]. Short chain fatty acids (SCFA) are the main products of saccharolytic bacterial fermentation of NDC, with acetate, propionate, and butyrate being the principal SCFA produced [4]. With increased interest in the effects of SCFA on human metabolic health [2], there is a growing need to understand how NDCs and the gut microbiota interact to yield different patterns of SCFA production and if certain profiles are related to improved health outcomes. Acetate is a central metabolite in intermediary metabolism and is involved in lipid and cholesterol synthesis [6,7] and central appetite regulation [8]. In addition to inhibiting de novo cholesterol and Nutrients 2017, 9, 26; doi:10.3390/nu9010026 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients
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