Optimización del método cromatográfico para análisis de ácidos grasos de cadena corta y su aplicación en muestras de digerido intestinal in-vitro

Abstract

The present titration work was to optimize and validate a chromatographic method for the analysis of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and its subsequent application for the analysis of SCFA in intestinal digested samples in vitro. The optimization of the method was performed by Gas Chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID). Validation parameters were linearity, linear dynamic range, intra-day and inter-day precision, limit of detection and limit of quantification. Once the method was validated, it was applied in 300 samples in duplicate provided by the Nutrition and Food Laboratory of the University of Cuenca, corresponding to samples of simulations of gastrointestinal digestion from ten fruit matrices. The resulting method was sensitive, specific and replicable for the analysis of the SCFA and the internal standard (2-methylhexanoic acid) in a total run of 12.75 min. The application of the method was verified in two matrices (taxo in milk shake and taxo in juice with water) digested together with diets (Ecuadorian vs Western), observing a statistically significant difference between the diets only in the concentration of acetic acid (p < 0.001). With the optimization of the method and its application to quantify SCFA, it is expected to contribute to the research carried out in the Food and Nutrition Laboratory regarding the production of SCFA within the gastrointestinal tract specifically for the health of the colon.