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. 2021 Aug 16;89(9):e00188-21. doi: 10.1128/IAI.00188-21

TABLE 1.

Effects of SCFAs on infection

Disease Pathogen(s) Host(s) SCFA type Effect of SCFAs Reference(s)
Eye infection Staphylococcus aureus, hemolytic streptococci, and others Humans and rabbits Propionate Relieved symptoms, improved healing, and reverted corneal ulcers 8
Vulvovaginitis Candida spp. Humans Propionate Relieved symptoms 45
Dermatomycosis Tinea spp. Humans Propionate Relieved symptoms; led to cure and no recurrence 44
Infected wounds Pseudomonas aeruginosa Humans Acetate Accelerated healing and pathogen clearance 46
Skin infection MRSA Humans Propionate Reduced inflammation, abscess size, and bacterial loads 29
Colitis Shigella flexneri Rabbits SCFA Improved clinical symptoms; reduced inflammation and bacterial loads 11, 47
Humans Butyrate Reduced inflammation and increased LL-37 production 48
Intestinal infections Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium Mice Propionate Limited pathogen growth and impaired the infection 10
Enteritis Citrobacter rodentium Mice Butyrate Reduced inflammation and improved epithelial repair and bacterial clearance 49
Intestinal infection Clostridioides difficile Mice Butyrate Reduced inflammation and improved epithelial repair 50
Mice Acetate Increased neutrophil recruitment, epithelial repair, and bacterial clearance 51
Necrotic enteritis Clostridium perfringens Broilers Butyrate Reduced intestinal lesions and increased weight gain 53
Hemolytic uremic syndrome Escherichiacoli O157 Piglets Butyrate Improved clinical symptoms; reduced inflammation and bacterial loads 52
Intestinal infection Trichinella spiralis Mice SCFA Reduced invasion and number of parasites; reduced histopathological changes 54
Subcutaneous infection Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans Mice SCFA Increased bacterial loads; impaired phagocytosis and killing by neutrophils 55
Arthritis Chikungunya virus Mice Butyrate Increased edema 56