Fecal Short-Chain Fatty Acid Variations by Breastfeeding Status in Infants at 4 Months: Differences in Relative versus Absolute Concentrations

Abstract

Our gut microbiota provide a number of important functions, one of which is the metabolism of dietary fiber and other macronutrients that are undigested by the host. The main products of this fermentation process are short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and other intermediate metabolites including lactate and succinate. Production of these metabolites is dependent on diet and gut microbiota composition. There is increasing evidence for the role of SCFAs in host physiology and metabolic processes as well as chronic inflammatory conditions such as allergic disease and obesity. We aimed to investigate differences in fecal SCFAs and intermediate metabolites in 163 infants at 3–5 months of age according to breastfeeding status. Compared to no exposure to human milk at time of fecal sample collection, exclusive breastfeeding was associated with lower absolute concentrations of total SCFAs, acetate, butyrate, propionate, valerate, isobutyrate, and isovalerate, yet higher concentrations of lactate. Further, the relative proportion of acetate was higher with exclusive breastfeeding. Compared to non-breastfed infants, those exclusively breastfed were four times more likely (aOR 4.50, 95% CI 1.58–12.82) to have a higher proportion of acetate relative to other SCFAs in their gut. This association was independent of birth mode, intrapartum antibiotics, infant sex, age, recruitment site, and maternal BMI or socioeconomic status. Our study confirms that breastfeeding strongly influences the composition of fecal microbial metabolites in infancy.

Bifidobacterium bifidum ATCC 15696 and Bifidobacterium breve 24b Metabolic Interaction Based on 2′- O -Fucosyl-Lactose Studied in Steady-State Cultures in a Freter-Style Chemostat

“…These results conform to the notion that steady-state cells are maintained in the log phase. It is noteworthy that acetate concentrations have been reported to be about 11 times greater than those of lactate in the feces of exclusively milk-fed infants (30). This may mean that steady-state conditions more resemble those in the bowel.…”

Short chain fatty acids produced by colonizing intestinal commensal bacterial interaction with expressed breast milk are anti-inflammatory in human immature enterocytes

“…In this study we examined another effect on inflammation of other bacterial metabolites produced after interaction with expressed breastmilk. It has been reported that intestinal colonizing bacteria can metabolize complex carbohydrates expressed in breastmilk but not digested by small intestinal enzymes to produce large quantities of SCFAs (acetate, propionate and butyrate) [11,26]. It has been shown that these SCFAs have immunologic activating effects on mature human enterocytes [9].…”

Human Milk Oligosaccharides: Health Benefits, Potential Applications in Infant Formulas, and Pharmacology

“…It is believed that SCFAs are associated with appetite suppression by activating free fatty acid receptors in the intestine and increasing circulating intestinal anorectic hormones [28]. SCFAs have also been shown to play an important role in the activation and differentiation of immune cells and are associated with inflammatory and allergic diseases [24,25,28,29].…”