The Protective Role of Butyrate against Obesity and Obesity-Related Diseases

Abstract

Worldwide obesity is a public health concern that has reached pandemic levels. Obesity is the major predisposing factor to comorbidities, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, dyslipidemia, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The common forms of obesity are multifactorial and derive from a complex interplay of environmental changes and the individual genetic predisposition. Increasing evidence suggest a pivotal role played by alterations of gut microbiota (GM) that could represent the causative link between environmental factors and onset of obesity. The beneficial effects of GM are mainly mediated by the secretion of various metabolites. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) acetate, propionate and butyrate are small organic metabolites produced by fermentation of dietary fibers and resistant starch with vast beneficial effects in energy metabolism, intestinal homeostasis and immune responses regulation. An aberrant production of SCFAs has emerged in obesity and metabolic diseases. Among SCFAs, butyrate emerged because it might have a potential in alleviating obesity and related comorbidities. Here we reviewed the preclinical and clinical data that contribute to explain the role of butyrate in this context, highlighting its crucial contribute in the diet-GM-host health axis.

Effects of a high-γ-polyglutamic acid-containing natto diet on liver lipids and cecal microbiota of adult female mice

“…It has been reported that the abundance of Bacteroidales family S24-7 was high in CD obesity-prone rats fed resistant starch [40]. A resistant starch diet has been reported to increase butyrate production by intestinal microbiota [41]. The relationship between butyric acid and Bacteroidales family S24-7 requires further study.…”

Impact of Plant-Based Meat Alternatives on the Gut Microbiota of Consumers: A Real-World Study

“…One of the greatest challenges in defining “a healthy gut” is that most of the variance (~85%) within the human microbiome is still unaccounted for, as confirmed by population-wide studies [ 76 , 77 ]. However, the relative abundance of microbes able to ferment non-digestible substrates such as dietary fibres to produce short-chain fatty acid (SCFAs) continues to be one of the indisputable criteria for such a definition [ 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 ]. Of the major SCFAs produced—acetate, propionate and butyrate—butyrate is particularly important for the simple reason that it constitutes the main energy source for colonocytes [ 83 ].…”

The Influence of Red Cabbage Extract Nanoencapsulated with Brassica Plasma Membrane Vesicles on the Gut Microbiome of Obese Volunteers

“…However, recent studies have shown that butyric acid is able to interact with the orexigenic neurons present in the hypothalamus, whose role is to mediate food intake and provide a protective effect against the effects of a high-fat diet [ 90 ]. Furthermore, a lower presence of butyrate-producing bacteria has been linked with an increased risk of metabolic disease [ 91 ]. A study was conducted with obese volunteers suffering from metabolic syndrome, who were administered with sodium butyrate (4 g/day), showing a positive anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effect [ 92 ].…”