Zeitschrift für Probiotika und Gesundheit
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Short Chain Fatty Acids Role in Gut Morphology

George Sourvinos

A substantial body of evidence supports that the gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in the regulation of metabolic, endocrine and immune functions. In recent years, there has been rising recognition of the participation of the gut microbiota in the modulation of multiple neurochemical pathways through the highly interconnected gut-brain axis. Though amazing scientific breakthroughs over the last few years have prolonged our knowledge on the communication between microbes and their hosts, the underpinnings of microbiota-gut-brain crosstalk remain to be determined. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), the main metabolites produced in the colon by bacterial fermentation of dietary fibers and resistant starch, are speculated to play a key role in neuro-immunoendocrine regulation. However, the fundamental mechanisms through which SCFAs might influence brain physiology and behavior.