Dynamics of human gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids in response to dietary interventions with three fermentable fibers

Production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), especially butyrate, in the gut microbiome is required for optimal health but is frequently limited by the lack of fermentable fiber in the diet. We attempted to increase butyrate production by supplementing the diets of 174 healthy young adults for two weeks with resistant starch from potatoes (RPS), resistant starch from maize (RMS), inulin from chicory root, or an accessible corn starch control. RPS resulted in the greatest increase in total SCFAs, including butyrate. Although the majority of microbiomes responded to RPS with increases in the relative abundance of bifidobacteria, those that responded with an increase in Ruminococcus bromii or Clostridium chartatabidum were more likely to yield higher butyrate concentrations, especially when their microbiota were replete with populations of the butyrate-producing species Eubacterium rectale. RMS and inulin induced different changes in fecal communities, but they did not generate significant increases in fecal butyrate levels.

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Dynamics of Human Gut Microbiota and Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Response to Dietary Interventions with Three Fermentable Fibers

mBio ◽

10.1128/mbio.02566-18 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. e02566-18 ◽

Cited By ~ 113

Author(s):

Nielson T. Baxter ◽

Alexander W. Schmidt ◽

Arvind Venkataraman ◽

Kwi S. Kim ◽

Clive Waldron ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Resistant Starch ◽

Corn Starch ◽

Short Chain Fatty Acids ◽

Short Chain ◽

Dietary Interventions ◽

Content Type ◽

Optimal Health ◽

Butyrate Production ◽

Chain Fatty Acids

ABSTRACT Production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), especially butyrate, in the gut microbiome is required for optimal health but is frequently limited by the lack of fermentable fiber in the diet. We attempted to increase butyrate production by supplementing the diets of 174 healthy young adults for 2 weeks with resistant starch from potatoes (RPS), resistant starch from maize (RMS), inulin from chicory root, or an accessible corn starch control. RPS resulted in the greatest increase in total SCFAs, including butyrate. Although the majority of microbiomes responded to RPS with increases in the relative abundance of bifidobacteria, those that responded with an increase in Ruminococcus bromii or Clostridium chartatabidum were more likely to yield higher butyrate concentrations, especially when their microbiota were replete with populations of the butyrate-producing species Eubacterium rectale. RMS and inulin induced different changes in fecal communities, but they did not generate significant increases in fecal butyrate levels. IMPORTANCE These results reveal that not all fermentable fibers are equally capable of stimulating SCFA production, and they highlight the importance of the composition of an individual’s microbiota in determining whether or not they respond to a specific dietary supplement. In particular, R. bromii or C. chartatabidum may be required for enhanced butyrate production in response to RS. Bifidobacteria, though proficient at degrading RS and inulin, may not contribute to the butyrogenic effect of those fermentable fibers in the short term.

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Effects of Resistant Starch Type III Polymorphs on Human Colon Microbiota and Short Chain Fatty Acids in Human Gut Models

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry ◽

10.1021/jf800284d ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 56 (13) ◽

pp. 5415-5421 ◽

Cited By ~ 69

Author(s):

Uri Lesmes ◽

Emma J. Beards ◽

Glenn R. Gibson ◽

Kieran M. Tuohy ◽

Eyal Shimoni

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Resistant Starch ◽

Human Colon ◽

Short Chain Fatty Acids ◽

Short Chain ◽

Human Gut ◽

Type Iii ◽

Chain Fatty Acids

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Effect of resistant starch structure on short-chain fatty acids production by human gut microbiota fermentation in vitro

Starch - Stärke ◽

10.1002/star.201200166 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 65 (5-6) ◽

pp. 509-516 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Zhongkai Zhou ◽

Xiaohong Cao ◽

Julia Y. H. Zhou

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Resistant Starch ◽

Short Chain Fatty Acids ◽

Short Chain ◽

Human Gut ◽

Human Gut Microbiota ◽

Starch Structure ◽

Chain Fatty Acids

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Production of short-chain fatty acids from resistant starch in a pig model

Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture ◽

10.1002/(sici)1097-0010(199805)77:1<71::aid-jsfa3>3.0.co;2-h ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 77 (1) ◽

pp. 71-80 ◽

Cited By ~ 44

Author(s):

Lucile J M Martin ◽

Henri J W Dumon ◽

Martine M J Champ

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Resistant Starch ◽

Short Chain Fatty Acids ◽

Pig Model ◽

Short Chain ◽

Chain Fatty Acids

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Short-Chain Fatty Acids and Human Colonic Function: Roles of Resistant Starch and Nonstarch Polysaccharides

Physiological Reviews ◽

10.1152/physrev.2001.81.3.1031 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 81 (3) ◽

pp. 1031-1064 ◽

Cited By ~ 1689

Author(s):

David L. Topping ◽

Peter M. Clifton

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Resistant Starch ◽

Epidemiological Data ◽

Short Chain Fatty Acids ◽

Short Chain ◽

Indirect Measures ◽

Electrolyte Uptake ◽

Colonic Blood Flow ◽

Nonstarch Polysaccharides ◽

Chain Fatty Acids

Resistant starch (RS) is starch and products of its small intestinal digestion that enter the large bowel. It occurs for various reasons including chemical structure, cooking of food, chemical modification, and food mastication. Human colonic bacteria ferment RS and nonstarch polysaccharides (NSP; major components of dietary fiber) to short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), mainly acetate, propionate, and butyrate. SCFA stimulate colonic blood flow and fluid and electrolyte uptake. Butyrate is a preferred substrate for colonocytes and appears to promote a normal phenotype in these cells. Fermentation of some RS types favors butyrate production. Measurement of colonic fermentation in humans is difficult, and indirect measures (e.g., fecal samples) or animal models have been used. Of the latter, rodents appear to be of limited value, and pigs or dogs are preferable. RS is less effective than NSP in stool bulking, but epidemiological data suggest that it is more protective against colorectal cancer, possibly via butyrate. RS is a prebiotic, but knowledge of its other interactions with the microflora is limited. The contribution of RS to fermentation and colonic physiology seems to be greater than that of NSP. However, the lack of a generally accepted analytical procedure that accommodates the major influences on RS means this is yet to be established.

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Resistant Starch, Fermented Resistant Starch, and Short-Chain Fatty Acids Reduce Intestinal Fat Deposition in Caenorhabditis elegans

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry ◽

10.1021/jf904583b ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 58 (8) ◽

pp. 4744-4748 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Jolene Zheng ◽

Fred Enright ◽

Michael Keenan ◽

John Finley ◽

Jun Zhou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽

Resistant Starch ◽

Short Chain Fatty Acids ◽

Fat Deposition ◽

Short Chain ◽

Chain Fatty Acids

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Obesity-Related Metabolome and Gut Microbiota Profiles of Juvenile Göttingen Minipigs—Long-Term Intake of Fructose and Resistant Starch

Metabolites ◽

10.3390/metabo10110456 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 456

Author(s):

Mihai V. Curtasu ◽

Valeria Tafintseva ◽

Zachary A. Bendiks ◽

Maria L. Marco ◽

Achim Kohler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Resistant Starch ◽

High Fat Diet ◽

Short Chain Fatty Acids ◽

Short Chain ◽

High Fat ◽

Obesity And Diabetes ◽

Ad Libitum ◽

Chain Fatty Acids

The metabolome and gut microbiota were investigated in a juvenile Göttingen minipig model. This study aimed to explore the metabolic effects of two carbohydrate sources with different degrees of risk in obesity development when associated with a high fat intake. A high-risk (HR) high-fat diet containing 20% fructose was compared to a control lower-risk (LR) high-fat diet where a similar amount of carbohydrate was provided as a mix of digestible and resistant starch from high amylose maize. Both diets were fed ad libitum. Non-targeted metabolomics was used to explore plasma, urine, and feces samples over five months. Plasma and fecal short-chain fatty acids were targeted and quantified. Fecal microbiota was analyzed using genomic sequencing. Data analysis was performed using sparse multi-block partial least squares regression. The LR diet increased concentrations of fecal and plasma total short-chain fatty acids, primarily acetate, and there was a higher relative abundance of microbiota associated with acetate production such as Bacteroidetes and Ruminococcus. A higher proportion of Firmicutes was measured with the HR diet, together with a lower alpha diversity compared to the LR diet. Irrespective of diet, the ad libitum exposure to the high-energy diets was accompanied by well-known biomarkers associated with obesity and diabetes, particularly branched-chain amino acids, keto acids, and other catabolism metabolites.

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Changes in Faecal Short-Chain Fatty Acids after Weight-Loss Interventions in Subjects with Morbid Obesity

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu12030802 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 802 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Per G Farup ◽

Jørgen Valeur

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Morbid Obesity ◽

Weight Loss ◽

Short Chain Fatty Acids ◽

Short Chain ◽

Dietary Interventions ◽

Metabolic Markers ◽

Fermentation Pattern ◽

Weight Loss Interventions ◽

Chain Fatty Acids

The gut microbiota and their metabolites, e.g., short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), are associated with obesity. The primary aims were to study faecal SCFA levels and the changes in SCFA levels after weight-loss interventions in subjects with obesity, and secondarily, to study factors associated with the faecal SCFA levels. In total, 90 subjects (men / women: 15/75) with a mean age of 44.4 (SD 8.4) years, BMI 41.7 (SD 3.7) kg/m2 and morbid obesity (BMI > 40 or > 35 kg/m2 with obesity-related complications) were included. Faecal SCFA and other variables were measured at inclusion and after a six-month conservative weight-loss intervention followed by bariatric surgery (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or gastric sleeve). Six months after surgery, the total amount of SCFA was reduced, the total and relative amounts of the main straight SCFA (acetic-, propionic-, and butyric- acids) were reduced, and the total and relative amounts of branched SCFA (isobutyric-, isovaleric-, and isocaproic- acids) were increased. The changes indicate a shift toward a proteolytic fermentation pattern with unfavorable health effects. The amount of SCFA was associated with the diet but not with metabolic markers or makers of the faecal microbiota composition. Dietary interventions could counteract the unfavorable effects.

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