Serum short chain fatty acids mediate hippocampal BDNF and correlate with decreasing neuroinflammation following high pectin fiber diet in mice.

Introduction: Dietary components, such as prebiotic fiber, are known to impact brain chemistry the gut-brain axis. In particular, short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) generated from excessive soluble fiber consumption are thought to impact neuroimmune signaling and brain function through increased production of neurotropic factors. Given reports that high dietary fiber intake is associated with increased mental health and improved quality of life scores, we set out to identify whether changes in SCFA levels as a result of a high soluble fiber diet mediate hippocampal neuroinflammation and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in mice.