Short chain fatty acids

Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are saturated aliphatic fatty acids with less than six carbon atoms. While five straight-chain SCFAs (formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, and valeric acid) are predominantly the end products of fermentation of dietary fibers by the anaerobic intestinal microbiota, the three branched-chain SCFAs (isobutyric acid, 2-methylbutyric acid, and isovaleric acid) are mainly derived from the catabolism of branched-chain amino acids such as valine, leucine, and isoleucine.