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Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Analysis of Fatty Acid Content and Composition in Microalgae
Published on: October 1, 2013
GC-MS Analysis of Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Feces, Cecum Content, and Blood Samples
Lisa R Hoving1, Marieke Heijink2, Vanessa van Harmelen1
1Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Short-chain fatty acids, the end products of fermentation of dietary fibers by the gut microbiota, have been shown to exert multiple effects on mammalian metabolism. For the analysis of short-chain fatty acids, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry is a very powerful and reliable method. Here, we describe a fast, reliable, and reproducible method for the separation and quantification of short-chain fatty acids in mouse feces, cecum content, and blood samples (i.e., plasma or serum) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The short-chain fatty acids analyzed include acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, hexanoic acid, and heptanoic acid.
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