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Propionate

Meaning

A short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) with a three-carbon backbone, produced primarily by the bacterial fermentation of undigested dietary fiber in the distal colon by the gut microbiota. Propionate serves as a crucial signaling molecule and a significant energy source, particularly for the liver, where it is a major substrate for the process of gluconeogenesis. It plays an important role in gut-brain axis communication and the complex regulation of appetite and systemic glucose homeostasis.