The Source of Dietary Fiber Influences. Short-Chain Fatty Acid Production and Concentrations in the Large Bowel

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), also referred to as volatile fatty acids, primarily include acetate, propionate, and butyrate, which compose more than 80% of all SCFAs. They are produced from carbohydrates or dietary fiber which cannot be degraded by human digestive enzymes, but which are hydrolyzed and fermented by intestinal microflora in the large bowel.