A number of mechanisms have been attributed to the beneficial role of butyrate in brain function, including its action as a histone deacetylase inhibitor and as an activator of G protein-coupled receptors (GPR’s); a lower level of histone acetylation is a characteristic of many neurodegenerative diseases, and butyrate has been shown to activate GPR109a, potentially leading to anti-inflammatory effects in the brain (Bourassa et al., 2016). This evidence concerns the gene ALDH18A1 and neurodegenerative disease.