Acetate

CH3 ·COO– . Acetic acid, CH3 ·COOH, is one of the three (acetic, propionic, butyric) common short-chain volatile fatty acids found in intestinal contents. This fatty acid accounts for a major proportion (more than half) of the short-chain fatty acids produced by anaerobic fermentation in the rumen or in the large intestine. In cellular metabolism, acetate is converted to acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA) prior to being used in catabolic or anabolic processes. Acetyl-CoA is a major metabolic intermediate in the catabolism of fatty acids and carbohydrates to carbon dioxide and water and of amino acids to carbon dioxide, water and nitrogen end products in the production of the cellular energy in the form of ATP. In cellular biosynthetic activities, acetate as acetyl-CoA is the precursor for all of the carbon in long-chain fatty acids (16–18 carbons), ketones and cholesterol.