Analysis of Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Fecal Samples by Headspace-Gas Chromatography

The level of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) is related to health benefits. In this study, a static headspace (HS) gas chromatography method was developed and validated for analyzing SCFAs in fecal samples. SCFAs were injected onto a column through an HS injector through an HS procedure and salting-out technology. The limits of detection and quantification (LOQ) of this method are 0.02–0.08 µg L − 1 (0.4–1.6 µg g − 1 sample) and 0.005–0.020 µg L − 1 (0.1–0.4 µg g − 1 sample), respectively. The calibration curves show good linearity over the range (LOQ–200 µg L − 1 or LOQ–4000 µg g − 1 sample) of these compounds, and the correlation coefficient is > 0.99. The recovery of the method is between 80 and 105%, and matrix effects were not observed. The proposed method was successfully applied to analyze SCFAs in fecal samples from rats. Graphical Abstract