Determination of short chain fatty acids in stool ultrafiltrate and urine

Abstract

A new method is reported for determining total shortchain fatty acids in stool water and urine. The method uses ion-exchange resins to remove interfering substances, and determines these acids by direct titration. Lacitic acid, if present, is determined along with the short chain (C1 C6) organic acids. Interferences such as carbonate, phosphate, creatinine, bile acids, and uric acid are removed by the ion-exchange treatment. Values obtained by this simplified technique correlate very well with those by gas-chromatographic analyses of the same sample, and the method represents a significant improvement over the Van Slyke technique.