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Cited by 388Gut microbiota and healthAmino Acid Enzymes and MetabolismAnimal Nutrition and Physiology

Dissimilatory Amino Acid Metabolism in Human Colonic Bacteria

Smith, E.A, Macfarlane, G.T·1997·Anaerobe
DOI 10.1006/anae.1997.0121
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Abstract

The abilities of slurries of human faecal bacteria to ferment 20 different amino acids were investigated in batch culture incubations. Ammonia, short chain fatty acids, and in some cases, amines, were the principal products of dissimilatory metabolism. The types of SCFA produced were dependent on the chemical compositions of the test substrates. Thus, acetate and butyrate were formed from the acidic amino acid glutamate, while acetate and propionate predominated in aspartate fermentations. Breakdown of the basic amino acids lysine and arginine was rapid, and yielded butyrate and acetate, and ornithine and citrulline, respectively. The major products of histidine deamination were also acetate and butyrate. However, fermentation of sulphur-containing amino acids was slow and incomplete. Acetate, propionate and butyrate were formed from cysteine, whereas the main products of methionine metabolism were propionate and butyrate. The simple aliphatic amino acids alanine and glycine were fermented to acetate, propionate and butyrate, and acetate and methylamine, respectively. Branched-chain amino acids were slowly fermented by colonic bacteria, with the main acidic products being branched-chain fatty acids one carbon atom shorter than the parent amino acid. Low concentrations of amines were also detected in these fermentations. Aliphatic-hydroxy amino acids were rapidly deaminated by large intestinal microorganisms. Serine was primarily fermented to acetate and butyrate, while threonine was mainly metabolised to propionate. Proline was poorly utilized by intestinal bacteria, but hydroxyproline was efficiently fermented to acetate and propionate. The aromatic amino acids tyrosine, phenylalanine and tryptophan were broken down to a range of phenolic and indolic compounds.

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Crossref · 10.1006/anae.1997.0121

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  • Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Bifidobacterium bifidum had beneficial effects on depression in major depressive patients.

    “Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Bifidobacterium bifidum had beneficial effects on depression in major depressive patients [132].”

    From Exercise-induced stress behavior, gut-microbiota-brain axis and diet: a systematic review for athletes (2016) · cites this paper as [132]

  • Bacteria such as those from the Bacteroides phylum ferment certain amino acids and proteins that result in BCAA along with potentially toxic byproducts such as ammonia, amines, volatile sulfur compounds, phenolic compounds, indolic compounds, sulphides and organic acids.

    “Additionally, bacteria such as those from the Bacteroides phylum, ferment certain amino acids and proteins that result in BCAA along with potentially toxic byproducts such as ammonia, amines, volatile sulfur compounds [74], as well as phenolic compounds, indolic compounds [132], sulphides and organic acids [133].”

    From Exercise-induced stress behavior, gut-microbiota-brain axis and diet: a systematic review for athletes (2016) · cites this paper as [132]

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Authors
Smith, E. A., & Macfarlane, G. T.
Affiliations
Medical Research Council (GB)
Venue
Anaerobe
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
1997-10
Volume
3
Issue
5
Pages
327-337
ISSN
1075-9964 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1006/anae.1997.0121
OpenAlex
W2013058953
Cited by
388
References
61
Citations by year
2026: 20 · 2025: 38 · 2024: 32 · 2023: 34 · 2022: 34 · 2021: 33 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 10
FWCI
0.59
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Anaerobe (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biochemistry › Amino Acid Enzymes and Metabolism
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Animal Nutrition and Physiology
Keywords
fecal bacteria, amino acid fermentation, short-chain fatty acids, acetate, butyrate, propionate, ammonia, amines, lysine, L-arginine, methionine metabolism, branched-chain amino acids, aromatic amino acids, indole, phenolic compounds, gut microbiota

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