Andy Montoya
Butyric acid, a carboxylic acid, is commonly found in dairy products such as butter, milk, and parmesan cheese. It is also produced in the human gut through anaerobic fermentation. Butyric acid has an unpleasant odour, often described as cheesy vomit. However, its salts and esters, known as butyrates, have interesting effects on colon cells and can slow down the growth of cancer cells. The name butyric acid comes from the Latin word for butter, butyrum, as it was first extracted from rancid butter. Butyrates are also produced by several fermentation processes performed by obligate anaerobic bacteria.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Odor | Unpleasant, pungent, stench |
| Taste | Acrid |
| Sources | Butter, parmesan cheese, vomit, bovine milk, breast milk, body odor, anaerobic fermentation in the colon |
| Uses | Food and perfume additives, feed additive, prevents salmonella bacteria from taking hold in animal husbandry |
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What You'll Learn
- Butyric acid is found in dairy products like butter, milk, and cheese
- Butyric acid is a product of anaerobic fermentation in the human gut
- Butyric acid is also found in vomit, faeces, and body odour
- Butyric acid is used as a feed additive to prevent salmonella in animal husbandry
- Butyric acid is an agonist of the human hydroxycarboxylic acid receptor 2 (HCA2)
Butyric acid is found in dairy products like butter, milk, and cheese
Butyric acid, also known as butanoic acid, is a straight-chain alkyl carboxylic acid. It is a colourless liquid with an unpleasant odour. The name butyric comes from the Ancient Greek βούτῡρον, meaning "butter", the substance in which it was first found. Butyric acid is found in dairy products like butter, milk, and cheese.
Butter made from cow's milk contains butyric acid, and it is used as an indicator to evaluate the quality of butter and milk products. About 11% of the saturated fat in butter comes from short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and butyric acid makes up about half of these SCFAs. Triglycerides of butyric acid make up 3-4% of butter. When butter goes rancid, butyric acid is liberated from the glyceride by hydrolysis.
Butyric acid is also found in milk, including bovine milk and breast milk. It is an important component in the mammalian gut, and it is produced by several fermentation processes performed by obligate anaerobic bacteria. Butyric acid is one of the three most common SCFAs in the gut, and it is created when bacteria break down dietary fibre. It can also be found in ghee, although the amount is small compared to the amount produced in the gut.
Cheese also contains butyric acid, although in low amounts. It is an important part of the total flavour profile of cheese. When in higher concentrations, its flavour becomes more prominent. Butyric acid is formed through the breakdown of fat by enzymes called lipases, which can be found naturally in raw milk or added by the cheese maker.
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Butyric acid is a product of anaerobic fermentation in the human gut
Butyric acid, also known as butanoic acid, is a straight-chain alkyl carboxylic acid with the chemical formula CH3CH2CH2COOH. It is produced as an end product of the fermentation of sugar by obligate anaerobic bacteria, specifically Clostridium butyricum, which was discovered by Louis Pasteur in 1861. This bacterium, along with other organisms, facilitates the glycolytic cleavage of glucose into two molecules of pyruvate, which is then oxidized into acetyl coenzyme A. The acetyl coenzyme A is then converted to butyryl CoA, which becomes butyric acid.
Butyric acid is a common industrial chemical and is an important component in the mammalian gut. It is a short-chain fatty acid and is one of the primary endogenous agonists of human hydroxycarboxylic acid receptor 2 (HCA2). It is also an HDAC inhibitor, a drug that inhibits the function of histone deacetylase enzymes. Butyric acid is a product of anaerobic fermentation in the human gut, specifically in the colon, where it is produced through the microbial fermentation of dietary fiber by anaerobic bacteria.
Butyric acid has been shown to have several important health benefits. It is the main energy source for the human body and has been marked as a suppressor of colon cancer. It has also been shown to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells in the colon by inducing apoptosis, inhibiting cancer gene expression, and promoting anti-inflammatory processes. Additionally, butyric acid has neuroprotective effects and can improve insulin sensitivity, suggesting a potential therapeutic role in obesity-related diseases and diabetes.
Butyric acid is also known for its unpleasant odor, which has been described as resembling "pooh, farts, sick, smelly feet, sweat, gone-off curry, sour milk," and occasionally, Parmesan cheese. The salts and esters of butyric acid, known as butyrates or butanoates, have more pleasant odors and are used as food and perfume additives.
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Butyric acid is also found in vomit, faeces, and body odour
Butyric acid, also known as butanoic acid, is a straight-chain alkyl carboxylic acid with the chemical formula CH3CH2CH2COOH. It is produced by several fermentation processes performed by obligate anaerobic bacteria and is an important component in the mammalian gut. Butyric acid is found in various foods, including butter, bovine milk, breast milk, parmesan cheese, and plant oils. It is also naturally produced in the human body by bacteria in the gut.
The name butyric comes from the Ancient Greek βούτῡρον, meaning "butter", as it was first found in butter. Butyric acid is responsible for the smell of rancid butter. When butter goes rancid, butyric acid is liberated from the glyceride by hydrolysis. It has a taste somewhat like butter and an unpleasant odour.
Butyric acid is also found in body odour, vomit, and faeces. It is one of the three most common short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the human gut, produced by bacteria breaking down dietary fibre. Butyric acid provides energy to colon cells. The amount of butyric acid found in food sources is small compared to the amount produced in the gut.
The acid has a powerful odour and is used as an additive in fishing bait to attract fish. It is also used as a flavouring agent in food manufacturing and as an additive in perfumes. Mammals with good scent detection abilities, such as dogs, can detect butyric acid at 10 parts per billion, while humans can only detect it in concentrations above 10 parts per million.
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Butyric acid is used as a feed additive to prevent salmonella in animal husbandry
Butyric acid, also known as butanoic acid, is an oily, colorless liquid with a pungent odor. It is a type of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) that is produced through anaerobic fermentation and is commonly found in dairy products such as butter and cheese.
While butyric acid itself has an unpleasant smell, its esters can have pleasant odors, such as apple, pineapple, apricot, and pear. These esters are used as food and perfume additives. Butyric acid is also an important component in the mammalian gut, and it has been found to have positive effects on gut health, nutrient absorption, and overall health.
In animal husbandry, butyric acid is used as a feed additive to prevent salmonella infections in poultry and livestock. Salmonella is a pathogenic bacterium that can cause serious health issues in animals, and butyric acid helps to reduce its population in the gut. The sodium salt of butyric acid, known as sodium butyrate, is specifically used as an additive in feed to prevent Salmonella Enteritidis infection in birds.
Research has shown that supplementing the feed of broiler chickens with sodium butyrate can significantly reduce Salmonella Enteritidis infection. In one study, three groups of fifty 1-day-old broilers were fed diets with different additives: a standard diet (control group), a diet supplemented with free sodium butyrate, and a diet supplemented with sodium butyrate partially protected with vegetable fats. The birds were orally infected with Salmonella Enteritidis, and fecal Salmonella shedding was assessed at various time points throughout the trial. Both butyrate-based additives showed a significant reduction in Salmonella Enteritidis infection from day 27 onward, with the partially protected butyrate additive being more effective at the late phase of infection.
In addition to its antimicrobial properties, butyric acid has also been found to improve feed conversion efficiency, enhance mineral absorption, boost immunity, and promote healthy growth in poultry. The use of butyric acid as a feed additive not only helps prevent salmonella infections but also contributes to overall animal health and performance.
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Butyric acid is an agonist of the human hydroxycarboxylic acid receptor 2 (HCA2)
Butyric acid, an oily, colorless liquid with an unpleasant odor, is one of two primary endogenous agonists of the human hydroxycarboxylic acid receptor 2 (HCA2), also known as GPR109A. HCA2 is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) located on the surface membrane of cells.
HCA2 is activated by butyric acid, β-hydroxybutyric acid, and niacin (also known as nicotinic acid). Butyric acid is a typical carboxylic acid that reacts with bases and affects many metals. It is found in dairy products such as butter, parmesan cheese, bovine milk, and breast milk, as well as in body odor, vomit, and anaerobic fermentation in the colon.
The name butyric acid comes from the Ancient Greek βούτῡρον, meaning "butter," the substance in which it was first found. Butyric acid is fully ionized at physiological pH, and its anion is the material mainly relevant in biological systems. It is a common industrial chemical and an important component in the mammalian gut.
Butyric acid has several effects on human health. It is an HDAC inhibitor, which means it inhibits the function of histone deacetylase enzymes, favoring an acetylated state of histones in cells. This leads to a loosening of the structure of chromatin by reducing the electrostatic attraction between histones and DNA. Butyric acid also has antimicrobial and anticarcinogenic properties, and it is essential for host immune homeostasis.
In summary, butyric acid is an agonist of the human hydroxycarboxylic acid receptor 2 (HCA2), and it plays a crucial role in various biological and chemical processes, as well as having important implications for human health.
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Frequently asked questions
Butyrate, or butyric acid, is generally found in dairy products like butter and parmesan cheese. It is also a product of anaerobic fermentation in the human gut. Butyric acid has an unpleasant odour, which has been described as "cheesy vomit".
Butyrate is produced by several fermentation processes performed by obligate anaerobic bacteria. It is an important component in the mammalian gut and is also used as a feed additive.
Butyric acid has a pungent odour and an acrid taste, which has been described as "pooh, farts, sick, smelly feet, sweat, gone-off curry, sour milk" and, occasionally, parmesan cheese.
Humans have evolved to detect and avoid butyric acid because it is often a sign of disease and potential infection, such as in gone-off food, vomit, and faeces.
