Butyrate is the traditional name for the conjugate base of butanoic acid (old name butyric acid). The formula of the butanoate ion is C4H7O2-. The archaic name is used as part of the name of butyrates or butanoates, or ester

Ester

Esters are chemical compounds derived by reacting an oxoacid with a hydroxyl compound such as an alcohol or phenol. Esters are usually derived from an inorganic acid or organic acid in which at least one -OH group is replaced by an -O-alkyl group, and most commonly from carboxylic acids and...

s and salt

Salt

In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...

s of butyric acid

Butyric acid

Butyric acid , also known under the systematic name butanoic acid, is a carboxylic acid with the structural formula CH3CH2CH2-COOH. Salts and esters of butyric acid are known as butyrates or butanoates...

, a short chain fatty acid

Short chain fatty acid

Short-chain fatty acids are a sub-group of fatty acids with aliphatic tails of less than six carbons. They include:* Acetic acid* Propionic acid* Isobutyric acid * Butyric acid* Isovaleric acid...

. Examples include

• Cellulose acetate butyrate, an aircraft dope
  Aircraft dope
  thumb|right|[[United Kingdom military aircraft serials|2699]] a [[World War I]] [[Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2]] finished in a clear dopeAircraft dope is a plasticised lacquer that is applied to fabric-covered aircraft...
  
  
• Methyl butyrate
  Methyl butyrate
  Methyl butyrate, also known under the systematic name methyl butanoate, is the methyl ester of butyric acid. Like most esters, it has a fruity odour, in this case resembling apples or pineapples. At room temperature, it is a colourless liquid with low solubility in water, upon which it floats to...
  
  
• Ethyl butyrate
  Ethyl butyrate
  Ethyl butyrate, also known as ethyl butanoate, or butyric ether, is an ester with the chemical formula CH3CH2CH2COOCH2CH3. It is soluble in propylene glycol, paraffin oil, and kerosene. It has a fruity odor, similar to pineapple.-Uses:...
  
  
• Butyl butyrate
  Butyl butyrate
  Butyl butyrate, or butyl butanoate, is an organic compound that is an ester formed by the condensation of butyric acid and n-butanol. It is a clear, colorless liquid that is insoluble in water, but miscible with ethanol and diethyl ether. Its refractive index is 1.406 at 20 °C.-Aroma:Like other...
  
  
• Pentyl butyrate
  Pentyl butyrate
  Pentyl butyrate, also known as pentyl butanoate or amyl butyrate, is an ester that is formed when pentanol is reacted with butyric acid, usually in the presence of sulfuric acid as a catalyst. This ester has a smell reminiscent of pear or apricot. This chemical is used as an additive in cigarettes....
  
  
• Sodium butyrate
  Sodium butyrate
  Sodium butyrate is a compound with formula Na. It is the sodium salt of butyric acid. It has various effects on cultured mammalian cells including inhibition of proliferation, induction of differentiation and induction or repression of gene expression. As such, it can be used in lab to bring about...
  
   a HDAC inhibitor used in psychiatry

Butyrates are important as food for cells lining the mammalian colon

Colon (anatomy)

The colon is the last part of the digestive system in most vertebrates; it extracts water and salt from solid wastes before they are eliminated from the body, and is the site in which flora-aided fermentation of unabsorbed material occurs. Unlike the small intestine, the colon does not play a...

 (colonocytes). Without butyrates for energy, colon cells undergo autophagy

Autophagy

In cell biology, autophagy, or autophagocytosis, is a catabolic process involving the degradation of a cell's own components through the lysosomal machinery. It is a tightly regulated process that plays a normal part in cell growth, development, and homeostasis, helping to maintain a balance...

(self digestion) and die.