Sodium butyrate is the sodium salt of the short-chain fatty acid butyric acid. It is a metabolite of intestinal bacteria, a major energy source for gut epithelial cells, and is known to play a key role in the homeostasis of the gastrointestinal tract1. Sodium butyrate is also a known inhibitor of histone deacetylases (HDACs)2. HDAC inhibitors are promising anti-tumour agents that work by inhibiting cell proliferation and survival3. Along with the cytokines Activin A and acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF), sodium butyrate has been shown to direct the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells into hepatocytes4. Sodium butyrate has also been reported to increase the efficiency of transfection and expression for both transient and stable transfections5.
Product Name
Stemolecule Sodium Butyrate
Catalog Number
04-0005
Size
500 mg
Alternate Name(s)
Butyric acid sodium salt
Chemical Formula
C4H7O2·Na
Molecular Weight
111.1
CAS Number
156-54-7
Purity
Greater than 98% by acid base titration
Formulation
White solid
Solubility
This molecule is soluble in water at 900 mM.
Reconstitution
For a 100 mM stock solution of Sodium Butyrate, add 9 mL of water to 100 mg of the compound. If precipitate is observed, warm the solution to 37 °C for 2 to 5 minutes. For cell culture, the medium should be prewarmed prior to adding sodium butyrate.
Storage and Stability
Store powder at 4 °C protected from light. Information about the stability of Stemolecules in solution is largely not available. For Sodium Butyrate, we recommend that stock solution be freshly made and stored in aliquots at −20 °C, protected from light. The effect of storage of stock solutions should be verified for each application.
Quality Control
The purity of Sodium Butyrate was determined by acid-base titration. The accurate mass was determined by mass spectrometry. Cellular toxicity of Sodium Butyrate was tested on HeLa and HEK293 cells.
