Degradation of Dietary Fibres by the Human Colonic Microbiota

This paper reviews the role of the human colon as an anaerobic compartment densely populated by microorganisms that ferment non-digested carbohydrates. It describes the chemical structures and dietary sources of fibre types—resistant starch, cell wall polysaccharides (cellulose, hemicelluloses, pectins), and oligosaccharides—and details how colonic microbes degrade these substrates. Advances in high-throughput metagenomic, metatranscriptomic, and metaproteomic analyses are highlighted for studying microbial composition and function. The fermentation of fibres yields short-chain fatty acids that have significant positive effects on human health.