Short-chain fatty acids in bowel contents after intestinal surgery

Abstract Short-chain fatty acids are produced in the human colon by bacterial fermentation of dietary fibers and other saccharides escaping absorption in the small bowel. Short-chain fatty acid concentrations were determined together with production rates in 6- and 24-h incubations of intestinal outputs from 56 patients with various types of intestinal resections. Concentrations and 6- and 24-h production rates in feces from 9 healthy persons (controls; median ± SD) were 98.9 ± 21.4 mmol/L and 17.2 ± 5.1 and 9.3 ± 1.5 mmol/L · h, respectively. Colectomized patients with short bowel syndrome had extremely low concentrations (0.8 mmol/L) compared with controls (p