Fatty Acid Composition of Feces and Fecaliths.

Abstract

The relative proportions of palmitic, stearic, oleic, and linoleic acids in lipids extracted from fecaliths and feces are compared by means of gas-liquid chromatography. Fecaliths, in contrast to feces, contain little oleic acid and no apparent linoleic acid. Thin-layer chromatography was used to determine the types of lipids found in fecaliths and feces. The former contain less triglyceride and more free fatty acids than the latter. Fatty acid soaps were not found in fecaliths.