Effect of medium chain fatty acid in human health and disease

Medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) has unique transport system and is rapidly metabolized in the body. It mainly occurs in coconut oil, palm kernel oil and milk products. Dietary supplementation with MCFAs can improve metabolic features as well as cognition in humans. Some of the effects of MCFAs may be through direct receptor-mediated intracellular pathways, but MCFAs are also metabolic regulators that can alter circulating levels of hormones and metabolites, and hence may indirectly mediate body metabolism. Here we describe how dietary medium chain fatty acid, previously found to improve immune response and insulin secretion via G-protein coupled receptors, can increase apoptosis in cancer cells through the activation of the EGFR/ERK/AP1 transduction pathway. MCFA-enriched diets could therefore be used to manage metabolic diseases through the modification of gut microbiota, activation of GPR 40 and GPR 84.