{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]],"date-time":"2026-10-13T18:51:18Z","timestamp":1791917478521,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"15","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,28]],"date-time":"2024-07-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1722124800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Postbiotics could exert different metabolic activities in animal models of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and in humans affected by metabolic syndrome. This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial that enrolled a sample of 50 Caucasian healthy individuals with NAFLD, defined as liver steatosis, and metabolic syndrome. After a 4-week run-in, the enrolled individuals were randomized to take a food for special medical purposes with functional release, one tablet a day, containing calcium butyrate (500 mg\/tablet), zinc gluconate (zinc 5 mg\/tablet), and vitamin D3 (500 IU\/tablet), or an identical placebo for 3 months. Liver and metabolic parameters were measured at baseline and at the end of the study. No subject experienced any adverse events during the trial. In both groups, a significant decrease in total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) plasma levels was observed at the randomization visit vs. pre-run-in visit (p &lt; 0.05). Regarding liver parameters, after treatment, the fatty liver index (FLI) improved significantly vs. baseline values (p &lt; 0.05) and vs. placebo group (p &lt; 0.05) in the active treatment group, and the hepatic steatosis index (HSI) improved significantly vs. baseline values (p &lt; 0.05). Moreover, after active treatment, TC, TG, and gamma-glutamyl transferase (gGT) improved significantly vs. baseline values (p &lt; 0.05), and TC and TG improved vs. placebo group (p &lt; 0.05), as well. In the placebo group, liver parameters remained unchanged after treatment; only TG improved significantly vs. baseline values (p &lt; 0.05). In our study, we observed that the butyrate-based formula improved FLI and plasma lipid patterns in individuals affected by liver steatosis and metabolic syndrome.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu16152454","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,29]],"date-time":"2024-07-29T07:54:03Z","timestamp":1722239643000},"page":"2454","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":42,"title":["Effect of Supplementation of a Butyrate-Based Formula in Individuals with Liver Steatosis and Metabolic Syndrome: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7853-0042","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Federica","family":"Fogacci","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Hypertension and Cardiovascular Risk Research Unit, Medical and Surgery Sciences Department, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6563-0439","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marina","family":"Giovannini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hypertension and Cardiovascular Risk Research Unit, Medical and Surgery Sciences Department, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Valentina","family":"Di Micoli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hypertension and Cardiovascular Risk Research Unit, Medical and Surgery Sciences Department, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elisa","family":"Grandi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hypertension and Cardiovascular Risk Research Unit, Medical and Surgery Sciences Department, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8039-8781","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Claudio","family":"Borghi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hypertension and Cardiovascular Risk Research Unit, Medical and Surgery Sciences Department, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4367-3884","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Arrigo Francesco Giuseppe","family":"Cicero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hypertension and Cardiovascular Risk Research Unit, Medical and Surgery Sciences Department, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.12703\/r\/12-10","article-title":"Recent advances in NAFLD: Current areas of contention","volume":"12","author":"Jennison","year":"2023","journal-title":"Fac. 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