Reference entry
Butyrate
Plain-English definitions of microbiome research vocabulary — the terms you'll see across articles, testing services, and probiotic claims.
Glossary context
Defined
in the site-wide microbiome glossary
Definition
The most studied short-chain fatty acid, produced primarily by Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and other anaerobic bacteria. Butyrate is the primary energy source for colonocytes (colon lining cells) and has anti-inflammatory properties.