American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 39, 338-342, Copyright © 1984 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc

ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

The contribution of the large intestine to energy supplies in man

NI McNeil

Herbivores obtain a considerable proportion of energy requirements from carbohydrate by the chain of anaerobic carbohydrate fermentation producing short-chain fatty acids that are absorbed then metabolized. The evidence for this sequence occurring in the large intestine of man is reviewed and estimated to produce 5 to 10% of human energy requirements. Further small amounts of energy may come from large intestinal absorption of fat and the bacterial breakdown products of protein.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. O. Weickert and A. F. H. Pfeiffer Metabolic Effects of Dietary Fiber Consumption and Prevention of Diabetes J. Nutr., March 1, 2008; 138(3): 439 - 442. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. M. O. Owira and T. A. Winter Colonic Energy Salvage in Chronic Pancreatic Exocrine Insufficiency JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr, January 1, 2008; 32(1): 63 - 71. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Belenguer, S. H. Duncan, G. Holtrop, S. E. Anderson, G. E. Lobley, and H. J. Flint Impact of pH on Lactate Formation and Utilization by Human Fecal Microbial Communities Appl. Envir. Microbiol., October 15, 2007; 73(20): 6526 - 6533. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. S. Samuel, E. E. Hansen, J. K. Manchester, P. M. Coutinho, B. Henrissat, R. Fulton, P. Latreille, K. Kim, R. K. Wilson, and J. I. Gordon Genomic and metabolic adaptations of Methanobrevibacter smithii to the human gut PNAS, June 19, 2007; 104(25): 10643 - 10648. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. H. Duncan, A. Belenguer, G. Holtrop, A. M. Johnstone, H. J. Flint, and G. E. Lobley Reduced Dietary Intake of Carbohydrates by Obese Subjects Results in Decreased Concentrations of Butyrate and Butyrate-Producing Bacteria in Feces Appl. Envir. Microbiol., February 15, 2007; 73(4): 1073 - 1078. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Anguita, N. Canibe, J. F. Perez, and B. B. Jensen Influence of the amount of dietary fiber on the available energy from hindgut fermentation in growing pigs: Use of cannulated pigs and in vitro fermentation J Anim Sci, October 1, 2006; 84(10): 2766 - 2778. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. S. Samuel and J. I. Gordon A humanized gnotobiotic mouse model of host-archaeal-bacterial mutualism PNAS, June 27, 2006; 103(26): 10011 - 10016. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. R. Gill, M. Pop, R. T. DeBoy, P. B. Eckburg, P. J. Turnbaugh, B. S. Samuel, J. I. Gordon, D. A. Relman, C. M. Fraser-Liggett, and K. E. Nelson Metagenomic analysis of the human distal gut microbiome. Science, June 2, 2006; 312(5778): 1355 - 1359. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Backhed, R. E. Ley, J. L. Sonnenburg, D. A. Peterson, and J. I. Gordon Host-Bacterial Mutualism in the Human Intestine Science, March 25, 2005; 307(5717): 1915 - 1920. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. J. Wolfe The Acetate Switch Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev., March 1, 2005; 69(1): 12 - 50. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. A Vogt, K. B Ishii-Schrade, P. B Pencharz, and T. M. Wolever L-Rhamnose increases serum propionate after long-term supplementation, but lactulose does not raise serum acetate Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, November 1, 2004; 80(5): 1254 - 1261. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Fukushima and C. Fiocchi Paradoxical decrease of mitochondrial DNA deletions in epithelial cells of active ulcerative colitis patients Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol, May 1, 2004; 286(5): G804 - G813. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. A. Vogt and T. M. S. Wolever Fecal Acetate Is Inversely Related to Acetate Absorption from the Human Rectum and Distal Colon J. Nutr., October 1, 2003; 133(10): 3145 - 3148. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J R Jorgensen, M D Fitch, P B Mortensen, and S E Fleming Absorption and metabolism of octanoate by the rat colon in vivo: concentration dependency and influence of alternative fuels Gut, July 1, 2002; 51(1): 76 - 81. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Sone, H. Shimano, Y. Sakakura, N. Inoue, M. Amemiya-Kudo, N. Yahagi, M. Osawa, H. Suzuki, T. Yokoo, A. Takahashi, et al. Acetyl-coenzyme A synthetase is a lipogenic enzyme controlled by SREBP-1 and energy status Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, January 1, 2002; 282(1): E222 - E230. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. N. Lærke, B. B. Jensen, and S. Højsgaard In Vitro Fermentation Pattern of D-Tagatose Is Affected by Adaptation of the Microbiota from the Gastrointestinal Tract of Pigs J. Nutr., July 1, 2000; 130(7): 1772 - 1779. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				R. A. Waniewski and D. L. Martin Preferential Utilization of Acetate by Astrocytes Is Attributable to Transport J. Neurosci., July 15, 1998; 18(14): 5225 - 5233. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Hara, S. Haga, T. Kasai, and S. Kiriyama Fermentation Products of Sugar-Beet Fiber by Cecal Bacteria Lower Plasma Cholesterol Concentration in Rats J. Nutr., April 1, 1998; 128(4): 688 - 693. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				M. J. Wolin, S. Yerry, T. L. Miller, Y. Zhang, and S. Bank Changes in Production of Ethanol, Acids and H2 from Glucose by the Fecal Flora of a 16- to 158-d-Old Breast-Fed Infant J. Nutr., January 1, 1998; 128(1): 85 - 90. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				D. G. Popovich, D. J. A. Jenkins, C. W. C. Kendall, E. S. Dierenfeld, R. W. Carroll, N. Tariq, and E. Vidgen The Western Lowland Gorilla Diet Has Implications for the Health of Humans and Other Hominoids J. Nutr., October 1, 1997; 127(10): 2000 - 2005. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				H. M. Aukema, L. A. Davidson, B. C. Pence, Y.-H. Jiang, J. R. Lupton, and R. S. Chapkin Butyrate Alters Activity of Specific cAMP-Receptor Proteins in a Transgenic Mouse Colonic Cell Line J. Nutr., January 1, 1997; 127(1): 18 - 24. [Abstract] [Full Text]