| Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), as end products of indigestible-fiber-fermentation by gut-bacteria, affect inflammatory disease and cancer. SCFA are quickly absorbed in the colon through their transporters categorized as
SMCT1/SLC5a8, MCT1/SLAC16a, and SCFA-HCO3
- exchangers. These compounds have anti-inflammatory and
anticancer properties by activating FFR2/GPR43, FFR3/GPR41, GPR109, olfactory receptor 78, and inhibiting
histone deacetylases (HDAC). SCFA suppresses inflammation by influencing chemotaxis, immune cells’ differentiation, and the production of cytokines from different cell types. In addition to autophagy induction ability of
SCFA in cancer cells, they can also induce apoptosis in tumoral cells. SCFA has not shown significant effects on
normal cells’ propagation. On the other hand, previous reports showed their preventive impacts on cancer cell
proliferation, which has been named the “Butyrate paradox” and discussed in terms of the “Warburg effect.' |