Short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria (SCFA-PB)

Short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria represent a diverse functional group of commensal gut microorganisms that ferment non-digestible dietary fibers into metabolic byproducts such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate [1, 7]. This group includes key genera such as Faecalibacterium, Roseburia, Blautia, and Bifidobacterium, which are crucial for maintaining intestinal homeostasis, regulating immune responses, and providing the primary energy source for colonocytes [3, 12]. These bacteria facilitate host-microbe communication by producing ligands for G protein-coupled receptors, specifically GPR41 (FFAR3), GPR43 (FFAR2), and GPR109A, and by acting as histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors [4, 14]. A reduction in the abundance of SCFA-producing genera is a hallmark of various pathological states, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), obesity, type 2 diabetes, and neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease [2, 10]. Therapeutic interventions aim to boost these microbial populations through the administration of prebiotics, probiotics, or fecal microbiota transplantation to alleviate systemic inflammation and metabolic dysfunction [1, 12, 15]. As such, these genera are increasingly monitored as biomarkers for gut health and response to clinical treatments [8, 10].

Other names

Short-chain fatty acid-producing generaButyrate-producing bacteriaSCFA-producing bacteriaPropionate-producing bacteriaAcetogenic bacteriaBeneficial gut commensals

These bacteria ferment dietary polysaccharides to produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which act as signaling molecules by binding to host G protein-coupled receptors (GPR41, GPR43, GPR109A) and inhibiting histone deacetylases (HDACs), leading to anti-inflammatory and metabolic regulatory effects.