Microbial Ecology, volume 33, issue 3, pages 180-188

Formation of Phenolic and Indolic Compounds by Anaerobic Bacteria in the Human Large Intestine

E. A. Smith 1
G. T. Macfarlane 1
1
 
Medical Research Council, Dunn Clinical Nutrition Centre, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2DH, United Kingdom, , GB
Publication typeJournal Article
Publication date1997-04-01
Quartile SCImago
Q1
Quartile WOS
Q1
Impact factor3.6
ISSN00953628, 1432184X
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Soil Science
Ecology
Abstract
Batch culture incubations were used to investigate the effects of pH (6.8 or 5.5) and carbohydrate (starch) availability on dissimilatory aromatic amino acid metabolism in human fecal bacteria. During growth on peptide mixtures, tyrosine and phenylalanine fermentations occurred optimally at pH 6.8, while individual metabolic reactions were inhibited by up to 80% in the presence of 10 g l−1 starch. Tryptophan metabolites were not detected in these experiments. When free amino acids replaced peptides, phenol production was increased during carbohydrate fermentation, although formation of p-cresol, another tyrosine metabolite was strongly inhibited. Phenylpropionate, which is produced from phenylalanine, was unaffected by starch. Tryptophan was fermented in these studies, although indole production was reduced in the starch fermentors. The importance of different fermentation substrates (casein, peptide mixtures, free amino acids) on aromatic amino acid metabolism was investigated in incubations of material taken from the proximal bowel. The phenylalanine metabolites, phenylacetate and phenylpropionate, were the principal phenolic compounds formed from all three substrates. Phenol was the major tyrosine metabolite produced in casein and peptide fermentations, while hydroxyphenylpropionate was a more important tyrosine product from free amino acids. Indole was the sole product of tryptophan metabolism, but was formed only from the free amino acid. Bacterial metabolism of individual phenolic and indolic compounds was also investigated. Phenol, p-cresol, phenylacetate, phenylpropionate, 4-ethylphenol, indole, indoleacetate, and indolepropionate were not metabolized by colonic bacteria. However, hydroxyphenylacetate was hydrolyzed to p-cresol, while hydroxyphenylpropionate was transformed into phenylpropionate. Indolepyruvate was either converted to indoleacetate or metabolized into indole. Indolepropionate, and to a lesser degree indoleacetate were produced from indolelactate. These data show that human colonic anaerobes are able to extensively degrade either free or peptide-bound aromatic amino acids, with the concomitant formation of toxic metabolic products. These processes are controlled to a significant degree by environmental factors such as pH and carbohydrate availability, and this ultimately influences the types and amounts of fermentation products that can be formed in different regions of the large bowel.

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GOST |
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Smith E. A., Macfarlane G. T. Formation of Phenolic and Indolic Compounds by Anaerobic Bacteria in the Human Large Intestine // Microbial Ecology. 1997. Vol. 33. No. 3. pp. 180-188.
GOST all authors (up to 50) Copy
Smith E. A., Macfarlane G. T. Formation of Phenolic and Indolic Compounds by Anaerobic Bacteria in the Human Large Intestine // Microbial Ecology. 1997. Vol. 33. No. 3. pp. 180-188.
RIS |
Cite this
RIS Copy
TY - JOUR
DO - 10.1007/s002489900020
UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/s002489900020
TI - Formation of Phenolic and Indolic Compounds by Anaerobic Bacteria in the Human Large Intestine
T2 - Microbial Ecology
AU - Smith, E. A.
AU - Macfarlane, G. T.
PY - 1997
DA - 1997/04/01 00:00:00
PB - Springer Nature
SP - 180-188
IS - 3
VL - 33
SN - 0095-3628
SN - 1432-184X
ER -
BibTex |
Cite this
BibTex Copy
@article{1997_Smith,
author = {E. A. Smith and G. T. Macfarlane},
title = {Formation of Phenolic and Indolic Compounds by Anaerobic Bacteria in the Human Large Intestine},
journal = {Microbial Ecology},
year = {1997},
volume = {33},
publisher = {Springer Nature},
month = {apr},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s002489900020},
number = {3},
pages = {180--188},
doi = {10.1007/s002489900020}
}
MLA
Cite this
MLA Copy
Smith, E. A., and G. T. Macfarlane. “Formation of Phenolic and Indolic Compounds by Anaerobic Bacteria in the Human Large Intestine.” Microbial Ecology, vol. 33, no. 3, Apr. 1997, pp. 180-188. https://doi.org/10.1007/s002489900020.
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