Methylmalonic acidemia
William L. Nyhan, Georg F. Hoffmann, Aida I. Al-Aqeel, Bruce A. Barshop in Atlas of Inherited Metabolic Diseases, 2020
Propionic acid is synthesized by intestinal bacteria, and this may be an important source of propionate and methylmalonate in these patients [110]. Treatment with neomycin or metronidazole may reduce levels of propionic and MMAs in body fluids [108–110]. Doses of metronidazole have ranged from 10 to 20 mg/kg per day and have been divided into three doses. Neomycin has been used in a dose of 50 mg/kg. Other antibiotics, such as bacitracin, paromycin, clindamycin, or vancomycin, may be useful in acute situations. Lincomycin was not effective [110]. In our experience, intermittent antibacterial therapy has been useful, suggesting that clonal populations of propionate-forming bacteria may be intermittently present in some patients. An effect of antibiotic treatment on metabolite accumulation may be especially useful during a crisis of metabolic decompensation. A sudden increase in MMA excretion unaccompanied by dietary change or stimulus for catabolism may suggest a bacterial source and an argument for neomycin or metronidazole.
Macronutrients
Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy in Food and Lifestyle in Health and Disease, 2022
Short chain saturated fatty acids, including acetic, propionic, and butyric acids, are formed during fiber fermentation in the proximal colon. They are quickly absorbed by portal circulation and transported to the liver where they are transformed into glucose. Importantly, butyric and partially also propionic acids are used in metabolism, proliferation and restoration of colon cells (70). Other functions of short chain saturated fatty acids in the colon also include stimulation of water, sodium, chloride and bicarbonate absorption and blood flow through mucous membrane of the colon. Other roles are proliferation of colon cells, mucus production, limited reproduction of saprophytic bacteria and putrefaction due to decreased acidity (70). As previously cited, long chain saturated fatty acids such as lauric, myristic, palmitic and stearic acids have significant atherogenic and thrombogenic potentials and increase levels of cholesterol, especially low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol or ‘bad’ cholesterol (70). These saturated fatty acids are mainly abundant in butter, lard, beef tallow, poultry skin, coconut oil, cocoa butter, palm kernel oil, chocolate, and so on.
Emollient Esters and Oils
Randy Schueller, Perry Romanowski in Conditioning Agents for Hair and Skin, 2020
Hydrolytic stability is a major consideration for all esters. Possibly one of the reasons for the popularity of the isopropyl alcohol esters of fatty acids in preference to similar esters that can be made from a low-molecular-weight acid (such as propionic acid) and a fatty alcohol, is their improved hydrolytic stability. It is important to consider that when an ester such as isopropyl myristate does hydrolyze, the resulting products are isopropyl alcohol and myristic acid. However, when an ester such as myristyl propionate hydrolyzes, the resulting components are myristyl alcohol and propionic acid. In this example, isopropyl alcohol would have a much more agreeable odor than propionic acid. Additionally, the propionic acid will lower the product pH possibly to a point where it will be detrimental to the product or consumer.
Probiotics for the Treatment of Gastric Diseases
Published in Nutrition and Cancer, 2022
Yingying Xing, Xinyue Gu, Guojing Ruan, Simiao Chen
SCFAs are important metabolites produced by microorganisms during the fermentation process. They primarily include formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, and lactic acid. It is commonly known that SCFAs can curb the growth and reproduction of pathogenic bacteria and maintain the balance of intestinal flora. In recent years, various studies have reported that SCFAs may also be used to treat gastric diseases. The ethanol-induced gastric ulcer (GU) mouse model confirmed that butyric acid produced by Clostridium butyricum can reverse the destruction of gastric mucus by ethanol, which may have a therapeutic effect on GU by enhancing mucosal defense activity (19). H. pylori can produce highly active urease, which can hydrolyze urea to generate ammonia and bicarbonate. This can ultimately form a neutral environment around pathogenic bacteria to reduce the viscosity of the mucus layer and promote the passage of these microbes through the mucus layer (12). In addition, a variety of experimental studies have confirmed that acetic acid and lactic acid produced by probiotics can reduce pH levels and have a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on the growth of H. pylori. This is not only reflected in the direct effect on H. pylori but also indirectly on urease (20). Additionally, Bengoa et al. also found that organic acids such as lactic acid and acetic acid produced by L. paracasei can inhibit nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling and consequently reduce the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines to exert an anti-inflammatory effect (17).
Early life environmental exposures have a minor impact on the gut ecosystem following a natural birth
Published in Gut Microbes, 2021
Nishat Tasnim, Candice Quin, Sandeep Gill, Chuanbin Dai, Miranda Hart, Deanna L. Gibson
To understand the correlation between microbiota community structure differences and metabolic differences among the exposure groups, we quantified SCFA. SCFA are bacterial metabolites that regulate immune responses and healthy gut physiology, and their production can be altered by changes to the gut microbial community composition.25 SCFA analysis revealed no significant differences in levels of acetic acid and butyric acid between 3 weeks and 6 weeks in each exposure group (Figure 3). The production of propionic acid was similar between neonatal and adult mice in rural soil and no soil groups; however, a significant increase in cecal propionic acid production was observed in the urban experimental mice as they aged (P = .003). Overall, the SCFA profiles of acetic and butyric acid were relatively unchanged by early environmental exposure in both neonatal and young adult age groups; however, urban soil exposure correlated with an increase in propionic acid in mice at 6 weeks of age, suggesting early urban soil exposure effects intestinal health and immunity as the rodents aged.
Anti-influenza A virus activity and structure–activity relationship of a series of nitrobenzoxadiazole derivatives
Published in Journal of Enzyme Inhibition and Medicinal Chemistry, 2021
Francesco Fiorentino, Marta De Angelis, Martina Menna, Annarita Rovere, Anna Maria Caccuri, Francesca D’Acunzo, Anna Teresa Palamara, Lucia Nencioni, Dante Rotili, Antonello Mai
Overall, 10 compounds of the library possessed antiviral activity, all of them being 4-thioether derivatives of NBD. The active molecules can be divided into three subgroups: (i) the emisuccinic esters 9, 10, 11; (ii) the propionic acid derivatives 12, 17, and 19; (iii) the 4-benzylthio derivatives 25, 41, 42. In group (i), it is apparent that increasing the length of the alkyl chain reduces the antiviral activity as demonstrated by the increased IC50 value of 10 compared to 9. In addition, the introduction of polar atoms, such as oxygen, is detrimental for compound activity as indicated by the higher IC50 value of 11 compared to 9. In group (ii), methylation of the carboxylic acid function of N-α protected cysteine residues decreases the IC50 value at least six-fold (compare 17 with 19), and the subsequent removal of the protected amino group at α position leads to a further increase of antiviral potency (compare 12 with 17) suggesting that a small methyl propionate side chain is important for compound activity. In group (iii), the introduction of both carboxy (41) and carbethoxy (42) groups determine a decrease in antiviral activity compared to 25, indicating that substitutions with polar moieties at para position are unfavourable for the 4-benzylthio-NBD derivatives series. Overall, the present data suggest that compact, hydrophobic substitutions are favourable for antiviral activity, alternatively benzyl derivatives are promising anti-IV compounds, although different substitutions in the benzene ring need to be explored.
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