Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), produced by colonic bacteria and obtained from the diet, have been linked to beneficial effects on human health associated with their metabolic and signaling properties. Their physiological functions are related to their aliphatic tail length and dependent on the activation of specific membrane receptors. In this review, we focus on the mechanisms underlying SCFAs mediated protection against oxidative and mitochondrial stress and their role in regulating metabolic pathways in specific tissues. We critically evaluate the evidence for their cytoprotective roles in suppressing inflammation and carcinogenesis and the consequences of aging. The ability of these natural compounds to induce signaling pathways, involving nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), contributes to the maintenance of redox homeostasis under physiological conditions. SCFAs may thus serve as nutritional and therapeutic agents in healthy aging and in vascular and other diseases such as diabetes, neuropathologies and cancer.

由结肠细菌产生并从饮食中获得的短链脂肪酸 (SCFA) 与它们的代谢和信号特性相关的对人类健康的有益影响有关。它们的生理功能与其脂肪族尾长有关，并依赖于特定膜受体的激活。在这篇综述中，我们关注 SCFAs 介导的抗氧化和线粒体应激保护机制及其在调节特定组织代谢途径中的作用。我们批判性地评估了它们在抑制炎症和致癌作用以及衰老后果方面的细胞保护作用的证据。这些天然化合物诱导信号通路的能力，涉及核红细胞 2 相关因子 2 (Nrf2)，有助于在生理条件下维持氧化还原稳态。因此，SCFA 可以作为健康衰老和血管疾病和其他疾病（如糖尿病、神经病理学和癌症）的营养和治疗剂。