François Blachier – författare

This book provides an overview of the metabolism of dietary compounds by the intestinal microbiota, and on the consequences of such metabolic activity on host metabolism and physiological functions; both in intestinal and peripheral tissues.

Over the last years, our understanding of the causal links between microbiota metabolic activity towards dietary and endogenous substrates and human health status has evolved extensively. In this context, the book starts with a comprehensive introduction devoted to the physiological and metabolic functions of the intestinal epithelium, followed by a part dedicated to the way intestine offers board and lodging for microbes being on a short- or long-term stay. The next chapters focus on the utilization of the available substrates from diet by the intestinal bacteria to produce numerous bacterial metabolites, and on the impact of such microbial activity, in the first place for communication between microbes, and for communication between microbes and lodging host. As will be detailed, this latter process of interkingdom communication leads to either beneficial or deleterious effects on intestinal physiology and metabolism. Special attention is given to selected pathophysiological processes namely chronic intestinal inflammation, colorectal carcinogenesis, and diarrhea. Then, the effects of modifications of bacterial metabolites and other bioactive compounds by the host after intestinal absorption, and consequences for peripheral tissue functions are presented.

Summarizing the state of the art on what is known about the metabolic crosstalk between gut microbiota and human metabolism, as well as perspectives for further experimental and clinical research, this book provides a useful resource for researchers, professionals, and students with a background in biology, and/or nutrition, medicine, pharmacology, and for those which are involved in the agriculture and food production. By explaining technical terms all along the text, this book should be understandable also for interested non-specialists.

This book takes readers on a journey from the very fundamental and chemical beginnings of amino acids on Earth to their role in human metabolism. It provides background on how amino acid metabolism has changed across the evolutionary tree and discusses their physico-chemical properties as well as their biochemical roles across various forms of life.

Amino acids are emerging as key players in numerous physiological functions and are being increasingly recognized as playing a mechanistic role for the communication between the gut microbiota and the host in healthy state and in some pathophysiological situations. However, understanding these associations requires a multidisciplinary approach, combining chemistry, biochemistry, physiology, nutrition, molecular/cellular biology and microbiology. This book aims to describe the science behind amino acids from their first appearance and evolutionary significance, all the way through the tree of life to humans, and then to consider how gut microbial amino acid metabolism regulates human physiology and risk in some chronic diseases. It covers key concepts such as the characteristics of different amino acids found in living organisms, their existence in the pre-living world, and their vital roles in metabolism and physiology. It also explores intriguing questions about microbial communication and the effect of amino acid-derived microbial metabolites on mammalian cells.

With this multidisciplinary approach and accessible structure, this book will appeal not only to students and researchers with a background in biochemistry and related fields, but also to non-specialists with an interest in the foundations of life at the intersection of evolutionary biology and metabolism.

This book provides developmental data regarding piglets (with a focus on the gastrointestinal tract), data related to amino acid metabolism in pigs, data related to nutritional and physiological functions of amino acids in pigs, nutritional requirements for amino acids in pigs, signaling roles of amino acids, methodological aspects in amino acid research and the pig model for studying amino acid-related human diseases.