He Butyric acid , Also known as n-butanoic acid (in the IUPAC system ), is a carboxylic acid With the structural formula CH 3 CH 2 CH 2 -COOH.
It is classified as a short chain fatty acid. It has an unpleasant odor and pungent taste and at the same time somewhat sweet (similar to ether). Its structure is illustrated in figure 1.
Figure 1: structure of butyric acid.
It is found especially in rancid butter, Parmesan cheese, raw milk, animal fats, vegetable oils and vomit. Its name is derived from the Greek word βουτυρος, which means"butter"(contributors, 2016).
Butyric acid is formed in the human colon by bacterial fermentation of carbohydrates (including dietary fiber), and supposedly suppresses colorectal cancer.
Butyric acid is a fatty acid which is in the form of Esters In animal fats and vegetable oils. Interestingly, low molecular weight esters of butyric acid, such as methyl butyrate, have mostly pleasant aromas or flavors (the metabolomic inovation center, S.F.).
Physical and chemical properties of butyric acid
Butyric acid is a colorless liquid with an unpleasant odor of rancid butter. It also has a certain butter taste.
It has a molecular weight of 88.11 g / mol and a density of 0.9528 g / ml at room temperature. Its melting point is -5.1 ° C and its boiling point is 163,75 ° C.
The compound is soluble in water, ethanol and ether. It is slightly soluble in carbon tetrachloride. It is a weak acid, which means that it does not completely dissociate, its pKa is 4.82 (National Center for Biotechnology Information, S.F.).
An isomer, 2-methylpropanoic acid (isobutyric), (CH3) 2CHCO2H, is found both in the free state and in its ethyl ester in a few vegetable oils. Although it is commercially less important than butyric acid (Brown, 2011).
Butyric acid can react with oxidizing agents. Incandescent reactions occur with chromium trioxide above 100 ° C. They are also incompatible with bases and reducing agents. It can attack aluminum and other light metals (BUTYRIC ACID, 2016).
Reactivity and hazards
Butyric acid is considered as an inflammable compound. Incompatible with strong oxidizing agents, aluminum and most other common metals, alkalis, reducing agents (Royal Society of Chemistry, 2015).
The compound is very dangerous in case of skin contact (may cause burns), in case of ingestion, contact with eyes (irritant) and inhalation (may cause severe irritation of the respiratory tract).
Spray liquid or mist can produce tissue damage particularly in the mucous membranes of the eyes, mouth and respiratory tract.
The substance is toxic to the lungs, nervous system, mucous membranes. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance may cause damage to these organs as well as irritation of the respiratory tract leading to frequent attacks of bronchial infection (Material Safety Data Sheet Butyric acid, 2013).
In case of contact with the eyes, it is necessary to verify if the victim has contact lenses and to remove them. The victim's eyes should be washed with water or normal saline for 20 to 30 minutes while simultaneously calling a hospital.
In case of contact with skin, the affected area must be immersed in water while removing all contaminated clothing. Gently wash all affected areas of skin with soap and water. Get medical attention.
If inhaled, remove to fresh air. If symptoms develop (such as wheezing, coughing, difficulty breathing or burning in the mouth, throat or chest), call a physician.
In case of ingestion, do not induce vomiting. If the victim is conscious and has no seizures, give one or two glasses of water to dilute the chemical and call a hospital or poison control center.
If the victim is convulsed or unconscious, do not give anything by mouth, make sure the victim's airway is open and place the victim on the side with the head lower than the body. Get immediate medical attention.
Uses and benefits for health
Low molecular weight esters of butyric acid, such as methyl butyrate, have a pleasant smell and taste. Because of this, they find use as food additives and perfume.
Butyrate, the conjugated base of butyric acid, can be found naturally in several foods. It can also be added as a supplement or flavoring agent in others.
Butyric acid esters or butyrates are used to make flavors and artificial essences of vegetable oil. Amyl butyrate is a main ingredient of apricot oil, while methyl butyrate can be found in pineapple oil.
In addition to being used as a flavoring agent, pineapple oil is also used to promote bone growth, cure dental surgeries and treat colds, sore throat and acute sinusitis, according to the manufacturer of natural products OCA Brazil (PULUGURTHA, 2015).
Bacteria found in the gastrointestinal tract can produce significant amounts of fermenting butyrate, dietary fiber and nondigestible carbohydrates. Eating foods rich in fiber like barley, oats, brown rice and bran are a healthy way to get butyrate in your body.
A study published in the November 2010 issue of the Journal of Nutrition indicates that an overnight cereal meal rich in nondigestible carbohydrates could increase plasma butyrate concentration the next morning.
He adds that this could be the mechanism by which whole grain helps prevent diabetes and heart disease.
Butyric acid, like butyrate, is formed in the human colon as a product of fiber fermentation, and this is suggested as a factor that explains why high fiber diets are protective in preventing colon cancer.
Several hypotheses have been investigated on the possible mechanism of this relationship, including whether butyrate is important for maintaining normal phenotypic expression of epithelial cells, or to improve the clearance of damaged cells through apoptosis.
Other benefits of butyric acid or butyrate are:
- Helps weight loss.
- Relieves irritated colon syndrome (Andrzej Załęski, 2013).
- Treatment of Crohn's disease (Ax, S.F.).
- Combats insulin resistance.
- It has anti-inflammatory effects.
References
- Andrzej Załęski, A.B. (2013). Butyric acid in irritable bowel syndrome. Przegla̜d Gastroenterologiczny, 350-353. Retrieved from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
- Ax, J. (S.F.). What Is Butyric Acid? 6 Butyric Acid Benefits You Need to Know About. Retrieved from draxe: draxe.com.
- Brown, W. H. (2011, December 2). Butyric acid (CH 3 CH 2 CH 2 CO 2 H). Retrieved from encyclopedia britannica: Retrieved from britannica.com.
- BUTYRIC ACID. (2016). Recovered from cameochemicals: cameochemicals.noaa.gov.
- Contributors, N.W. (2016, December 22). Butyric acid. Retrieved from New World Encyclopedia: Retrieved from newworldencyclopedia.org.
- Material Safety Data Sheet Butyric acid. (2013, May 21). Recovered from sciencelab: sciencelab.com.
- National Center for Biotechnology Information. (S.F.). PubChem Compound Database; CID = 264. Retrieved from PubChem: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
- PULUGURTHA, S. (2015, June 1). What Foods Are High in Butyrate? Recovered from livestrong: livestrong.com.
- Royal Society of Chemistry. (2015). Butanoic acid. Recovered from chemspider: chemspider.com.
- The metabolomic inovation center. (S.F.). Human metabolome database Showing metabocard for Butyric acid. Retrieved from hmdb.ca: hmdb.ca.