Stabilization and quantitative analysis of fecapentaenes in human feces, using synthetic fecapentaene-12

Naturally occurring fecal mutagens, called fecapentaenes, are hypothesized to contribute to large bowel carcinogenesis. To understand health risks it is necessary to relate fecal mutagen concentrations to intestinal pathologies, i.e. colon cancer. However, fast and reliable methods for analysis of stool for fecapentaene levels are not available. This study presents an evaluation of stabilizing effects on synthetic fecapentaene-12 of various antioxidants, indicating tri-ethylamine to give the best results. Furthermore, it describes a fast extraction procedure for human stool and a subsequent HPLC-analysis which produces quantitative data on fecapentaene-12 concentrations within 30 min.