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2D Structure
Also known as: Butanoic acid, 107-92-6, N-butyric acid, N-butanoic acid, Propylformic acid, Ethylacetic acid
Molecular Formula
C4H8O2
Molecular Weight
88.11  g/mol
InChI Key
FERIUCNNQQJTOY-UHFFFAOYSA-N
FDA UNII
40UIR9Q29H

A four carbon acid, CH3CH2CH2COOH, with an unpleasant odor that occurs in butter and animal fat as the glycerol ester.
1 2D Structure

2D Structure

2 Identification
2.1 Computed Descriptors
2.1.1 IUPAC Name
butanoic acid
2.1.2 InChI
InChI=1S/C4H8O2/c1-2-3-4(5)6/h2-3H2,1H3,(H,5,6)
2.1.3 InChI Key
FERIUCNNQQJTOY-UHFFFAOYSA-N
2.1.4 Canonical SMILES
CCCC(=O)O
2.2 Other Identifiers
2.2.1 UNII
40UIR9Q29H
2.3 Synonyms
2.3.1 MeSH Synonyms

1. Acid, Butanoic

2. Acid, Butyric

3. Butanoic Acid

4. Butyrate, Magnesium

5. Butyrate, Sodium

6. Butyric Acid Magnesium Salt

7. Butyric Acid, Sodium Salt

8. Dibutyrate, Magnesium

9. Magnesium Butyrate

10. Magnesium Dibutyrate

11. Sodium Butyrate

2.3.2 Depositor-Supplied Synonyms

1. Butanoic Acid

2. 107-92-6

3. N-butyric Acid

4. N-butanoic Acid

5. Propylformic Acid

6. Ethylacetic Acid

7. 1-propanecarboxylic Acid

8. Butanic Acid

9. Butyrate

10. 1-butyric Acid

11. Buttersaeure

12. Butanoate

13. Butyric Acid (natural)

14. Kyselina Maselna

15. Propanecarboxylic Acid

16. Buttersaeure [german]

17. 1-butanoic Acid

18. Fema No. 2221

19. Fema Number 2221

20. Kyselina Maselna [czech]

21. Ccris 6552

22. Hsdb 940

23. Butoic Acid

24. 2-butanoate

25. Nsc 8415

26. Mfcd00002814

27. Un2820

28. Ai3-15306

29. C4:0

30. Ch3-[ch2]2-cooh

31. 40uir9q29h

32. 67254-79-9

33. Chebi:30772

34. Nsc8415

35. Butanate

36. Propylformate

37. Nsc-8415

38. Butyrate Sodium

39. 1-butanoate

40. Propanecarboxylate

41. 1-butyrate

42. Butyric Acid [un2820] [corrosive]

43. Sodium N-butyrate

44. 1-propanecarboxylate

45. Dsstox_cid_1515

46. Dsstox_rid_76192

47. Dsstox_gsid_21515

48. Bua

49. Acide Butyrique

50. Fatty Acids

51. Cas-107-92-6

52. Butyric Acid (normal)

53. Einecs 203-532-3

54. Brn 0906770

55. Unii-40uir9q29h

56. Sodium-butyrate

57. Acide Butanoique

58. Honey Robber

59. Butyricum Acidum

60. Ethyl Acetic Acid

61. 1ugp

62. 3umq

63. Butanoic Acid, 4

64. Nat. Butyric Acid

65. Fatty Acid,vegetable

66. Tnfa + Nabut

67. Butyrate, Sodium Salt

68. Butyric Acid [un2820] [corrosive]

69. Butyric_acid

70. N-c3h7cooh

71. Tnfa + Sodium Butyrate

72. Butyric Acid, >=99%

73. Normal Butyric Acid

74. Bmse000402

75. Butyric Acid [mi]

76. Ec 203-532-3

77. Natural Butyric Acid

78. Ncimech_000707

79. Butyric Acid [fcc]

80. Wln: Qv3

81. Butyric Acid [hsdb]

82. Butyric Acid [inci]

83. Butyric Acid [vandf]

84. 4-02-00-00779 (beilstein Handbook Reference)

85. Chembl14227

86. Butyric Acid [who-dd]

87. Butyric Acid, >=99%, Fg

88. N-butyric Acid [fhfi]

89. Gtpl1059

90. Butyricum Acidum [hpus]

91. Dtxsid8021515

92. Bdbm26109

93. Butyric Acid, Analytical Standard

94. Bio1_000444

95. Bio1_000933

96. Bio1_001422

97. N-butyric Acid, Ethyl Acetic Acid

98. Zinc895132

99. Str06290

100. Tox21_202382

101. Tox21_300164

102. Ccg-35836

103. Lmfa01010004

104. Stl169349

105. Akos000118961

106. Db03568

107. Un 2820

108. Ncgc00247914-01

109. Ncgc00247914-02

110. Ncgc00247914-05

111. Ncgc00253919-01

112. Ncgc00259931-01

113. Bp-21420

114. Nci60_001424

115. Butyric Acid, Natural, >=99%, Fcc, Fg

116. B0754

117. Ft-0623295

118. Ft-0686717

119. Butyric Acid 1000 Microg/ml In Acetonitrile

120. Butyric Acid, Saj Special Grade, >=99.5%

121. C00246

122. Q193213

123. W-108732

124. Brd-k05878375-236-02-4

125. 9b27b3d0-9643-40ec-9a5f-7ca1a6ed7f9f

126. F2191-0094

127. Z955123634

128. Butanoic Acid, Butanic Acid, N-butyric Acid, Ethylacetic Acid, Propylformic Acid, 1-propanecarboxylic Acid

2.4 Create Date
2004-09-16
3 Chemical and Physical Properties
Molecular Weight 88.11 g/mol
Molecular Formula C4H8O2
XLogP30.8
Hydrogen Bond Donor Count1
Hydrogen Bond Acceptor Count2
Rotatable Bond Count2
Exact Mass88.052429494 g/mol
Monoisotopic Mass88.052429494 g/mol
Topological Polar Surface Area37.3 Ų
Heavy Atom Count6
Formal Charge0
Complexity49.5
Isotope Atom Count0
Defined Atom Stereocenter Count0
Undefined Atom Stereocenter Count0
Defined Bond Stereocenter Count0
Undefined Bond Stereocenter Count0
Covalently Bonded Unit Count1
4 Drug and Medication Information
4.1 Therapeutic Uses

Mesh Heading: histamine antagonists

National Library of Medicine, SIS; ChemIDplus Record for Butyric Acid (107-92-6). Available from, as of April 13, 2006: https://chem.sis.nlm.nih.gov/chemidplus/chemidlite.jsp


5 Pharmacology and Biochemistry
5.1 MeSH Pharmacological Classification

Histamine Antagonists

Drugs that bind to but do not activate histamine receptors, thereby blocking the actions of histamine or histamine agonists. Classical antihistaminics block the histamine H1 receptors only. (See all compounds classified as Histamine Antagonists.)


5.2 Absorption, Distribution and Excretion

Butyric acid is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract ...

Bingham, E.; Cohrssen, B.; Powell, C.H.; Patty's Toxicology Volumes 1-9 5th ed. John Wiley & Sons. New York, N.Y. (2001)., p. 5:709


A pharmacokinetics study was performed by injecting butyric acid as sodium or arginine salts for possible antitumor therapies. In the case of 1-(14)C-labelled butyrate, the appearance of radioactivity in the blood of injected mice is rapid and some of it is maintained for relatively long periods in different organs, mainly the liver. However, no precision can be given about the structure of radioactive compounds in blood and tissues. Using GLC, the metabolism of butyrate in both animals and man were studied. In mice and rabbits, the half-life is less than 5 min. In man, the butyric acid elimination curve can be divided into two parts corresponding to two half-lives: for the first (0.5 min), the slope suggests an accelerated excretion, while for the following (13.7 min), a slow plateau is observed. The rapid elimination of butyrate is a limiting factor for practical applications. However, the lack of toxicity supports its use in human therapy.

PMID:2667816 Daniel P et al; Clin Chim Acta 181 (3): 255-63 (1989)


5.3 Metabolism/Metabolites

Butyric acid is ... rapidly metabolized by the liver. In rats a considerable portion ... is metabolized to acetic acid. Butyric acid metabolism gives rise to ketone bodies (beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, acetone) and acetic acid, which may be excreted in the urine or incorporated into normal processes of fat metabolism.

Bingham, E.; Cohrssen, B.; Powell, C.H.; Patty's Toxicology Volumes 1-9 5th ed. John Wiley & Sons. New York, N.Y. (2001)., p. 5:709


The metabolism of carboxyl-labeled butyric acid by liver tissue was investigated in vitro. It was shown that the test substance was converted to ketone bodies mainly by fission into 2-carbon chains with subsequent recombination, and to a lesser extent by direct beta-oxidation.

European Chemicals Bureau; IUCLID Dataset, Butyric acid (107-92-6) (2000 CD-ROM edition). Available from, as of April 20, 2006: https://esis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/


In isolated animal tissues butyric acid was oxidized to acetoacetic and beta-hydroxybutyric acid. The formation of carbohydrate and complete oxidation were also reported. Besides the formation of beta-hydroxybutyric acid the formation of ketone bodies represents possibly an alternative path after oxidation at the beta-carbon atom of butyric acid.

European Chemicals Bureau; IUCLID Dataset, Butyric acid (107-92-6) (2000 CD-ROM edition). Available from, as of April 20, 2006: https://esis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/


... Following butyraldehyde intake ... it is oxidized by aldehyde dehydrogenase, largely in the liver but also in other tissues. Butyric acid undergoes further oxidation via the Krebs cycle, or it may be conjugated with glutathione.

Bingham, E.; Cohrssen, B.; Powell, C.H.; Patty's Toxicology Volumes 1-9 5th ed. John Wiley & Sons. New York, N.Y. (2001)., p. 5:978


5.4 Mechanism of Action

Diet, especially the amount of starch and dietary fiber which escape digestion in the small intestine are major determinants of colon function in man. These carbohydrates are the principal substrates for fermentation by the large bowel flora. Carbohydrate fermentation results in lowered caecal pH and the production of short chain fatty acids of which butyric acid may protect the colon epithelium from dysplastic change. Protein digestion and amino acid fermentation also occur in the large bowel but the nature of its endproducts varies in relation to the amount of carbohydrate available. During active carbohydrate breakdown amino acid fermentation endproducts such as ammonia are used by the bacteria for protein synthesis during microbial growth, but in carbon limited fermentation amines, ammonia, phenols and indoles, etc, accumulate. Fermentation also results in changes in colon pH which alters the metabolism of bile acids, nitrate, sulfate and other substances. Fermentation is thus controlled to a great extent by substrate availability, especially of carbohydrates which are derived from the diet. The potential to induce mutagenic change in colon epithelial cells and promote tumor growth may readily be influenced by diet.

PMID:2838168 Cummings JH, Bingham SA; Cancer Surv 6 (4): 601-21 (1987)


Butyric acid has two contrasting functional roles. As a product of fermentation within the human colon, it serves as the most important energy source for normal colorectal epithelium. It also promotes the differentiation of cultured malignant cells. A switch from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism accompanies neoplastic transformation in the colorectum. The separate functional roles for n-butyrate may reflect the different metabolic activities of normal and neoplastic tissues. Deficiency of n-butyrate, coupled to the increased energy requirements of neoplastic tissue, may promote the switch to anaerobic metabolism.

PMID:3916695 Jass JR; Med Hypotheses 18 (2): 113-8 (1985)


Treatment of cultured HeLa cells with 5 mM butyrate caused an inhibition of growth as well as extensive chemical and morphological differentiation. Lysosomal enzyme activity changes are associated with both normal and neoplastic growth as well as many aspects of the neoplastic process. The comparative ultrastructural results showed that the butyrate treated cells had a more extensive internal membranous system than the untreated cells, whereas other organelles seemed unaffected. The histochemical localization of lysosomal acid phosphatase showed a 2-fold increase in particulate reaction product in the butyrate-treated HeLa cells. Butyrate treatment may prevent sublethal autolysis by arresting the leakage of the lysosomal enzymes from the lysosome into the cytosol and thus allowing the cell to differentiate chemically and morphologically.

Kelly RE; In Vitro 21 (7): 373-81 (1985)


Exposure of the rat glioma C6 cell line to butyric acid increased levels of L-triiodothyronine in the nuclear and extranuclear compartments. The increase in nuclear binding was not merely a reflection of the higher cellular hormone content, and Scatchard analysis of L-triiodothyronine binding to isolated nuclei revealed that butyric acid increased receptor number without changing affinity. The effect on the receptor was quantitatively important: a 48 hr incubation with 2 mM butyric acid increased nuclear binding by 2-3 fold, and 5 mM butyrate by 35 fold. Butyric acid increased receptor levels by decreasing receptor degradation, since the apparent half-life of receptor disappearance increased by approximately 3 fold in cells incubated with 2 mM butyric acid for 48 hr. Butyric acid had little effect in increasing the level of multiacetylated forms of H3 and H4 histone when studied in acid-urea gels, but it markedly inhibited the turnover of (3)H-acetate from the histone fraction. There was a striking similarity in the dose-response of butyric acid for increasing receptor levels and inhibiting histone deacetylation. Furthermore, a very close correlation between receptor levels and (3)H-acetate release was also found when different short-chain fatty acids were used.

PMID:3771518 Ortiz CJ et al; J Biol Chem 261 (30): 13997-4004 (1986)