Short Chain Fatty Acids News and Research

RSS

Butyrate and propionate are two important short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced in the human gut. They have been shown to have significant immune system effects in the intestinal mucosa, by inducing the differentiation of T-regulatory cells via inhibition of histone deacetylase (HDAC). This enzyme keeps chromatin from unwinding and, therefore, inhibits gene transcription.

Research: Gut bacteria may cause animals to gain weight

A species of gut bacteria called Clostridium ramosum, coupled with a high-fat diet, may cause animals to gain weight. The work is published this week in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

30 Sep 2014

Consumption of resistant starch may help reduce colorectal cancer risk linked with high red meat diet

Consumption of a type of starch that acts like fiber may help reduce colorectal cancer risk associated with a high red meat diet, according to a study published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

4 Aug 2014

Biologists show bioelectrical signals control tumors arising from cancer-causing genes, fatty acid

Developmental biologists at Tufts University, using a tadpole model, have shown that bioelectrical signals from distant cells control the incidence of tumors arising from cancer-causing genes and that this process is impacted by levels of a common fatty acid produced by bacteria found in the tadpole and also in humans.

28 May 2014

Study reveals surprising relationships between diet and release of hormones that suppress eating

By comparing how gut microbes from human vegetarians and grass-grazing baboons digest different diets, researchers have shown that ancestral human diets, so called "paleo" diets, did not necessarily result in better appetite suppression.

20 May 2014

Mango consumption on ulcerative colitis and bone parameters in animal models: Studies

Three new mango-related studies were presented this week at the 2014 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) in San Diego, revealing initial findings on the effects of mango consumption on ulcerative colitis and bone parameters in animal models.

1 May 2014

Researchers discover how byproducts from bacteria prevalent in gum disease incite growth of deadly tumors

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University have discovered how byproducts in the form of small fatty acids from two bacteria prevalent in gum disease incite the growth of deadly Kaposi's sarcoma-related (KS) lesions and tumors in the mouth.

26 Feb 2014

Researchers develop new model for isolating effects of nutrients on gene expression, physiology

Everyday our cells take in nutrients from food and convert them into the building blocks that make life possible. However, it has been challenging to pinpoint exactly how a single nutrient or vitamin changes gene expression and physiology.

14 Feb 2014

New, "designer" dietary fiber may eliminate side effects of current IBS treatment

A newly-developed, "designer" dietary fiber with an added potential prebiotic effect may eliminate the side effects of current treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome which affects 10-20 percent of the population, disproportionately women.

20 Jan 2014

Study shows high-fiber diet reduces risk of colon problems

Scientists have more reasons for you to eat fiber and not abuse antibiotics.

17 Jan 2014

Diet high in fibre may ward off asthma

The Western diet probably has more to do with the asthma epidemic than has been assumed so far because developing asthma is related to the amount of fruit and vegetables consumed. Gut bacteria ferment the dietary fibres contained in them and fatty acids enter the blood as a result, influencing the immune response in the lungs. This has been shown by a research project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).

6 Jan 2014

Health benefits of short-chain fructooliogosaccharides

A new presentation today at the 2013 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting & Expo in Chicago- focused on the health benefits of short-chain fructooliogosaccharides (scFOS), which are low-calorie, non-digestible carbohydrates that can improve food taste and texture while aiding immunity, bone health and the growth and balance of important bacteria in the digestive track.

17 Jul 2013

Resistant starch kills pre-cancerous cells and reduces inflammation

As the name suggests, you can't digest resistant starch so it ends up in the bowel in pretty much the same form it entered your mouth. As unlovely as that seems, once in the bowel this resistant starch does some important things, including decreasing bowel pH and transit time, and increasing the production of short-chain fatty acids. These effects promote the growth of good bugs while keeping bad bugs at bay.

20 Feb 2013

FOS prebiotic could replace intravenous feeding in pediatric patients with intestinal failure

Adding the right prebiotic to the diets of pediatric patients with intestinal failure could replace intravenous feeding, says a new University of Illinois study.

16 Oct 2012

KSU researcher completes study that examines dietary fiber in children

Experts have long since determined the recommended daily amounts of certain nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, but the numbers for nutrients like fiber have proven more difficult to nail down.

31 Jul 2012

Dietary fiber can improve gastrointestinal health

A University of Illinois study shows that dietary fiber promotes a shift in the gut toward different types of beneficial bacteria. And the microbes that live in the gut, scientists now believe, can support a healthy gastrointestinal tract as well as affect our susceptibility to conditions as varied as type 2 diabetes, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer, and autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.

28 Jun 2012

Study reviews role of gut microbes in nutrient absorption and energy regulation

Microorganisms in the human gastrointestinal tract form an intricate, living fabric made up of some 500 to 1000 distinct bacterial species, (in addition to other microbes). Recently, researchers have begun to untangle the subtle role these diverse life forms play in maintaining health and regulating weight.

7 Jun 2012

HMO critically important in understanding how breastfeeding protects babies

A new University of Illinois study shows that human milk oligosaccharides, or HMO, produce short-chain fatty acids that feed a beneficial microbial population in the infant gut. Not only that, the bacterial composition adjusts as the baby grows older and its needs change.

15 May 2012

Study confirms LcS-fermented milk reduces fever linked with acute norovirus gastroenteritis

The Laboratory Department for Probiotics Research at the Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine studied supplementation of probiotic fermented milk containing Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota in elderly individuals living at a nursing home and confirmed reduced fever associated with acute norovirus gastroenteritis.

10 May 2011

New phase I/IIa clinical trial of AR-42 for blood cancer at OSUCCC-James

For the second time within a year, an experimental drug invented by cancer researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC-James) is being tested on patients in a clinical trial.

19 Jun 2010

New treatments for intestinal failure, other intestinal absorption disorders

New treatments for intestinal failure and other intestinal absorption disorders are a step closer to the patients who need them after a discovery in Kelly Tappenden's University of Illinois laboratory.

5 May 2010