Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Obesity is associated with disturbed gut microbiota homeostasis that translates into altered intestinal and blood metabolite profiles. The long-chain fatty acid (LCFA) may be absorbed in the intestine, but until now, their composition in intestinal contents of patients with obesity has not been studied. The aim of the present study was to verify whether obesity is related to any changes in fecal LCFA content and whether intestinal LCFA content may be associated with the health status of patients with obesity. METHODS: The fatty acid composition has been studied in stool samples obtained from 26 patients with morbid obesity and 25 lean subjects by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The dietary habits were assessed using the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ-6). RESULTS: Our results show for the first time that lean subjects and patients with obesity differ in their stool LCFA profiles. The levels of most n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and n-6 PUFAs were significantly higher in fecal samples from people with obesity than in those from lean controls. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the current knowledge, we have defined three hypotheses that may explain proving the cause-and-effect relationships observed differences in fecal LCFA profiles between patients with obesity and lean subjects. They may be related to alterations in fat digestion and/or LCFA absorption and diet. However, proving the cause-and-effect relationships requires further research.