Rapid Quantification of Gut Microbial Short-Chain Fatty Acids by pDART-MS
Journal
Analytical Chemistry
Journal Volume
92
Journal Issue
22
Pages
14892-14897
Date Issued
2020
Author(s)
Abstract
Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are small molecules ubiquitous in nature. In mammalian guts, SCFAs are mostly produced by anaerobic intestinal microbiota through the fermentation of dietary fiber. Levels of microbe-derived SCFAs are closely relevant to human health status and indicative to gut microbiota dysbiosis. However, the quantification of SCFA using conventional chromatographic approaches is often time consuming, thus limiting high-throughput screening tests. Herein, we established a novel method to quantify SCFAs by coupling amidation derivatization of SCFAs with paper-loaded direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (pDART-MS). Remarkably, SCFAs of a biological sample were quantitatively determined within a minute using the pDART-MS platform, which showed a limit of detection at the μM level. This platform was applied to quantify SCFAs in various biological samples, including feces from stressed rats, sera of patients with kidney disease, and fermentation products of metabolically engineered cyanobacteria. Significant differences in SCFA levels between different groups of biological practices were promptly revealed and evaluated. As there is a burgeoning demand for the analysis of SCFAs due to an increasing academic interest of gut microbiota and its metabolism, this newly developed platform will be of great potential in biological and clinical sciences as well as in industrial quality control. ? 2020 American Chemical Society.
Subjects
Diagnosis; Drug products; Fermentation; Mammals; Mass spectrometry; Volatile fatty acids; Biological samples; Direct analysis in real time; Fermentation products; High throughput screening; Industrial quality; Limit of detection; Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs); Short-chain fatty acids; Quality control
Other Subjects
Diagnosis; Drug products; Fermentation; Mammals; Mass spectrometry; Volatile fatty acids; Biological samples; Direct analysis in real time; Fermentation products; High throughput screening; Industrial quality; Limit of detection; Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs); Short-chain fatty acids; Quality control
Type
journal article