Lillian Martin

Butyrate and its Impacts on Serotonin Production and Depression

Started Mar. 10, 2025

Abstract or project description

My review article focuses on the impact of Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs) on Depression. Depression is a mental health issue that plays a significant role in the lives of millions every year. Despite its prominence, current solutions such as SSRIs and SNRIs do not fully address the root cause of depression. Therefore, assessing alternatives for the causes and potential treatments of depression is critical for future progress. Butyrate represents one such alternative. Here, we evaluate the role of butyrate on serotonin production in the gut-brain axis. Research demonstrates that butyrate’s positive influence on the SERT transporter allows for an increase in serotonin production, which leads to a potential decrease in depressive symptoms. Therefore, increasing butyrate may be a suitable alternative to current depression medications. This work highlights new research surrounding the potential use of butyrate manipulation to address depressive symptoms and highlights ways to increase butyrate production without the use of medical prescriptions. Taken together, these observations shed light on novel research avenues to allow for new depression therapeutics.