title: Quantitative determination of faecal fatty acids and triglycerides by Fourier transform infrared analysis with a sodium chloride transmission flow cell.
abstract: We studied the applicability of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to determine the amount of faecal fatty acids and triglycerides in faeces. For this, we have optimised a simple hexane extraction procedure of stool. After extraction, an aliquot of the hexane layer is directly injected into the measurement cell of the spectrophotometer and absorbance at 1714 cm(-1) and 1751 cm(-1) is read for quantitation of fatty acids and triglycerides, respectively. Comparison of the FTIR spectrophotometric method with the traditional titrimetric Van de Kamer method for faecal fat determination showed a good correlation. The advantage of our method over the previously described FTIR and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) methods is that it allows a combined measurement of both fatty acids and triglycerides in one run, using a simple and rapid hexane extraction procedure. Clinical validation of this method was performed by reviewing the medical records of 24 patients with steatorrhoea: patients with pancreatic steatorrhoea showed highly increased faecal triglyceride excretion, but a normal faecal fatty acid and faecal weight when compared with patients with non-pancreatic intestinal steatorrhoea.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory, Ziekenhuisgroep Twente, Twenteborg Hospital, Almelo, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gerrit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Voortman
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gerrits
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Altavilla
authors.forename: Maurice
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Henning
authors.forename: Leo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van Bergeijk
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hessels
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002138:Calibration; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D005591:Chemical Fractionation; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000378:metabolism; D006586:Hexanes; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010182:Pancreatic Diseases / Q000378:metabolism; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared / Q000379:methods*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D006586:Hexanes; D014280:Triglycerides