title: Quantification of in Vivo Colonic Short Chain Fatty Acid Production from Inulin.
abstract: Short chain fatty acids (SCFA), including acetate, propionate, and butyrate, are produced during bacterial fermentation of undigested carbohydrates in the human colon. In this study, we applied a stable-isotope dilution method to quantify the in vivo colonic production of SCFA in healthy humans after consumption of inulin. Twelve healthy subjects performed a test day during which a primed continuous intravenous infusion with [1-(13)C]acetate, [1-(13)C]propionate and [1-(13)C]butyrate (12, 1.2 and 0.6 μmol·kg(-1)·min(-1), respectively) was applied. They consumed 15 g of inulin with a standard breakfast. Breath and blood samples were collected at regular times during the day over a 12 h period. The endogenous rate of appearance of acetate, propionate, and butyrate was 13.3 ± 4.8, 0.27 ± 0.09, and 0.28 ± 0.12 μmol·kg(-1)·min(-1), respectively. Colonic inulin fermentation was estimated to be 137 ± 75 mmol acetate, 11 ± 9 mmol propionate, and 20 ± 17 mmol butyrate over 12 h, assuming that 40%, 10%, and 5% of colonic derived acetate, propionate, and butyrate enter the systemic circulation. In conclusion, inulin is mainly fermented into acetate and, to lesser extents, into butyrate and propionate. Stable isotope technology allows quantifying the production of the three main SCFA in vivo and proved to be a practical tool to investigate the extent and pattern of SCFA production.
authors.affiliation: Translational Research in Gastrointestinal Disorders, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium. eef.boets@med.kuleuven.be.|Leuven Food Science and Nutrition Research Centre, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium. eef.boets@med.kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Eef
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Boets
authors.affiliation: Translational Research in Gastrointestinal Disorders, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium. lise.deroover@med.kuleuven.be.|Leuven Food Science and Nutrition Research Centre, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium. lise.deroover@med.kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Lise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Deroover
authors.affiliation: Translational Research in Gastrointestinal Disorders, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium. els.houben@uzleuven.be.|Clinical Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium. els.houben@uzleuven.be.
authors.forename: Els
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Houben
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Ghent University, Merelbeke 9820, Belgium. karen.vermeulen@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vermeulen
authors.affiliation: Leuven Food Science and Nutrition Research Centre, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium. sara.gomand@biw.kuleuven.be.|Centre for Food and Microbial Technology, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium. sara.gomand@biw.kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Sara V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Gomand
authors.affiliation: Leuven Food Science and Nutrition Research Centre, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium. jan.delcour@biw.kuleuven.be.|Centre for Food and Microbial Technology, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium. jan.delcour@biw.kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Jan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Delcour
authors.affiliation: Translational Research in Gastrointestinal Disorders, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium. kristin.verbeke@med.kuleuven.be.|Leuven Food Science and Nutrition Research Centre, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium. kristin.verbeke@med.kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Verbeke
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D002087:Butyrates / Q000378:metabolism; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000378:metabolism*; D003106:Colon / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000378:metabolism*; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005260:Female; D005285:Fermentation; D006801:Humans; D007444:Inulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011422:Propionates / Q000378:metabolism; D012016:Reference Values; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D002087:Butyrates; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D011422:Propionates; D007444:Inulin
keywords: colonic fermentation; inulin; short chain fatty acids