Short-chain fatty acids colorectal cancer

A. Hague, D. J. Elder, D. J. Hicks and C. Paraskeva, Apoptosis in colorectal tumour cells induction by the short chain fatty acids butyrate, propionate and acetate and by the bile salt deoxycholate, Int. J. Cancer, 1995, 60(3), 400. 

Much of the resistant and slowly hydrolysed starch is fermented by bacteria in the colon, and a proportion of the products of bacterial metabolism, including short-chain fatty acids, may be absorbed and metabolized. As discussed in section 7.3.3.2, butyrate produced by bacterial fermentation of resistant starch and non-starch polysaccharides has an antiproliferative action against tumour cells in culture, and may provide protection against the development of colorectal cancer. 

The main products of bacterial fermentation of non-starch polysaccharides and resistant starch are short-chain fatty acids such as propionate and butyrate. In addition to being absorbed, and hence used as metabolic fuels, they have an antiproliferative effect on tumour cells in culture, and there is some evidence that they provide protection against the development of colorectal cancer. 

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