butyric acid (C4H7OOH) /byo̅o̅tir″ik/ , a clear, colorless liquid with an odor of rancid butter or vomit that is miscible with water, alcohol, glycerin, and ether. Butyric acid is obtained commercially from 1-butanol by oxidation and can be obtained from carbohydrates by butyric fermentation. It is used in the production of artificial flavors. In the human body, high-fiber foods are transformed by colonic bacteria into short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) that include butyrate. Also called butanoic acid, propylformic acid.
