The GUT CLUB

01/03/2026

Our debut Substack:
https://open.substack.com/pub/thegutclub/p/glyphosates-onslaught-on-akkermansia

01/03/2026

https://youtu.be/gb2ywqw2Bes?si=7XGbxrHMzODQaufn

Week 1: Lecture 5: Shikimic Acid Pathway

01/03/2026

WHAT IS THE UNKNOWN SUBSTANCE?

'Faecalibacterium prausnitzii Inhibits Interleukin-17 to Ameliorate Colorectal Colitis in Rats' (2014)
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0109146

"Figure 7. Proposed working mechanism of the anti-inflammatory effect of F. prausnitzii metabolic products."

"The F. prausnitzii metabolic products act via mechanisms on the IL-23/Th17/IL-17 axis. The F. prausnitzii metabolic products inhibit Th17 activity by inhibiting IL-23 secretion from the DCs and reduce the number of Th17 cells by inducing the anti-inflammatory cytokines. → stimulation; -| inhibition"

"Butyric acid is one of the metabolites produced by F. prausnitzii [11], which is an important energy source for the intestinal epithelial cells [12] and has an inverse correlation with disease activity [15], [17]. Using gas chromatography, we found that F. prausnitzii produced large amounts of butyric acid in the culture supernatant, which could contribute to the significant f***l butyric acid content and its concentration in F. prausnitzii and the culture supernatant of F. prausnitzii-administered rats, suggesting that the bacterium itself is essential for maintaining high levels of butyric acid in the intestinal lumen. The increase in f***l butyric acid concentration is causally related to ameliorated tissue lesions, suggesting that butyric acid may be involved in the prevention of TNBS-induced colitis in the rat. Indeed, butyric acid has been shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect in vitro [33], [34]. This study also observed that butyric acid suppressed the inflammatory cytokine release from rat splenocytes in vitro, although no significantly difference was observed. This result suggests that other unknown metabolites, rather than butyric acid, played a key role in reducing the development of IBD."

Note: maybe that "unknown substance" is the active form of vitamin D3:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17iM2GAtkR/

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17NgrPdN9z/

More here in new multiple sclerosis research (EAE):
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16drg9hnbj/

01/03/2026

ACETIC ACID 2023:
"gut microbiota remodeling improved natural aging-related disorders through A.muciniphila and its derived acetic acid, suggesting that interventions with potent stimulative capacity on A. muciniphila growth and production of acetic acid was alternative and effective way to maintain healthy aging."

'Gut microbiota remodeling improves natural aging-related disorders through Akkermansia muciniphila and its derived acetic acid' (2023)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043661823000439

"Notably, targeted metabolomics on short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) revealed that only acetic acid was consistently reversed by FMT. Then, acetic acid intervention exerted beneficial actions on both Caenorhabditis elegans and natural aging mice."

Note: A good reason to consume apples?
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=733927908790492&set=a.433819348801351

Note 2: We are investigating regulation of water absorption by acetic acid as related to constipation and diarrhea.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464620301778

Note 3: Focus includes acetic acid and insulin sensitivity:
https://www.mpg.de/8952248/acetic-acid-insulin-secretion #:~:text=These%20receptors%20are%20activated%20by,drop%20in%20blood%20sugar%20levels.

01/03/2026

ACETATE, THE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY CASE FOR FIBER:

"Gut-derived acetate promotes B10 cells with antiinflammatory effects" (2021)
https://insight.jci.org/articles/view/144156

"The short-chain fatty acid acetate, derived mostly from gut microbial fermentation of dietary fiber, promotes antiinflammatory Tregs and protects mice from type 1 diabetes, colitis, and allergies. Here, we show that the effects of acetate extend to another important immune subset involved in tolerance, the IL-10–producing regulatory B cells (B10 cells). Acetate directly promoted B10 cell differentiation from mouse B1a cells both in vivo and in vitro. These effects were linked to metabolic changes through the increased production of acetyl-coenzyme A, which fueled the TCA cycle and promoted posttranslational lysine acetylation. Acetate also promoted B10 cells from human blood cells through similar mechanisms. Finally, we identified that dietary fiber supplementation in healthy individuals was associated with increased blood-derived B10 cells. Direct delivery of acetate or indirect delivery via diets or bacteria that produce acetate might be a promising approach to restore B10 cells in noncommunicable diseases."

01/03/2026

https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/14/24/8949

Simple SummaryThe gut microbiota produces short-chain fatty acids through the fermentation of dietary fiber, which play essential roles in maintaining intestinal health and regulating cellular metabolism.

01/03/2026

https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-025-09301-3

Comparative analysis of DTC gut microbiome testing services reveals significant methodological variability, underscoring the need for standardized reference materials and guidelines to ensure reproducibility and reliability in commercial microbiome testing.

01/03/2026

https://abcnews.com/amp/GMA/Food/cottage-cheese-sold-walmart-recalled-pasteurization-concerns-company/story?id=130562782

Great Value cottage cheese sold at Walmart in 24 states.

01/03/2026

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/55000-pounds-blueberries-recalled-potentially-fatal-listeria-contamina-rcna260803

IQF Blueberries sold by the Oregon Potato Co., distributed to four states and Canada, were recalled due to potential bacterial contamination.

28/02/2026

CROSS-FEEDING FACTORY:
"production of pseudovitamin B12 by E. hallii results in production of propionate by A. muciniphila, which suggests that this syntrophy is indeed bidirectional."

'Microbial Metabolic Networks at the Mucus Layer Lead to Diet-Independent Butyrate and Vitamin B12 Production by Intestinal Symbionts' (2017)
https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mbio.00770-17

"Coculturing experiments of A. muciniphila with non-mucus-degrading butyrate-producing bacteria Anaerostipes caccae, Eubacterium hallii, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii resulted in syntrophic growth and production of butyrate. In addition, we demonstrate that the production of pseudovitamin B12 by E. hallii results in production of propionate by A. muciniphila, which suggests that this syntrophy is indeed bidirectional. These data are proof of concept for syntrophic and other symbiotic microbe-microbe interactions at the intestinal mucosal interface."

"mucosal foraging results in the availability of sugars liberated from mucus glycans and subsequent acetate production can stimulate coexistence of butyrogenic bacteria within the same mucosal niche (16)"

"Apparently both vitamin B12 and pseudovitamin B12 can be used as a cofactor by A. muciniphila to activate the methylmalonyl-CoA synthase. Hence, the B12 vitamer produced by E. hallii is in the pseudovitamin B12 form and can be used by other intestinal microorganisms, but it has lower affinity than vitamin B12 for the human intrinsic factor (25)."
"Schematic overview of mucus-dependent cross-feeding network. Keystone mucolytic bacteria, such as A. muciniphila, degrade mucin glycans resulting in oligosaccharides (mainly galactose, fucose, mannose, and GlucNac) and SCFAs (acetate, propionate, and 1,2-propanediol) that can be used for growth, as well as propionates, butyrate, and vitamin B12 production by cross-feeding partners. Treg GPR, regulatory T cell G-protein-coupled protein receptor."

Note: "To test the hypothesis that A. muciniphila can use the pseudovitamin B12 produced by E. hallii for the conversion of succinate to propionate, the effects of both purified E. hallii and commercially available vitamin B12 on A. muciniphila growth were tested. Indeed, the addition of pseudovitamin B12 and vitamin B12 resulted in significant lower succinate levels and significant higher propionate production. The addition of either vitamin B12 resulted in a profile identical to the profile observed for A. muciniphila-E. hallii coculture (Fig. 3)."

Which relates to this newly published research:
'The combined use of B vitamins and probiotics promotes B vitamin absorption and increases Akkermansia abundance'
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2024/fo/d4fo0180
"combined use of B vitamins and probiotics"
"seven B vitamins and three Lactobacillus strains"
"probiotics significantly promoted the absorption (by approximately 14.5% to 71.2%) of vitamins B1, B3, B5, and B12."
"probiotics primarily enhanced the B vitamin absorption through gut microbiota-mediated mechanisms, rather than by directly producing B vitamins."

28/02/2026

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0294436

Background S*x hormone-related diseases, encompassing a wide range of conditions from reproductive disorders to certain cancers, pose significant health challenges worldwide. Recent scientific investigations have highlighted the intricate interplay between the gut microbiome and s*x hormone regulati...