Tributyrin
Also known as: CoreBiome, glyceryl tributyrate, butyrin, tributyrate, butyrate triglyceride
Tributyrin is a triglyceride made of three butyrate molecules bound to glycerol. Because free butyrate is absorbed in the upper gut and has an unpleasant odor, esterifying it as tributyrin allows more of it to reach the small intestine and colon before lipases release it. It is sold as a postbiotic for gut-barrier and microbiome support, most often as the branded, microencapsulated powder CoreBiome. Human data include a 1998 phase I pharmacokinetic study in cancer patients and a 2022 crossover trial showing that butyrate-enriched triglycerides raise systemic butyrate after a meal. Doses in consumer products are far below those studied.
Research summary
Lipase hydrolysis releases butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid studied for effects on colonocyte energy metabolism, gut barrier integrity, and histone deacetylase inhibition.
Dosage
Daily amounts, of compound.
| Lowest studied | Typical range | Highest studied | Upper limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | 300–1,000 mg | — | — |
Consumer products use 300–1,000 mg daily with food, which reflects market practice rather than dose-finding trials; the phase I study used multi-gram doses. Microencapsulated powders mask the butyric odor and allow capsule or powder formats. Effects on gut markers, where reported, developed over several weeks.
Standardization: ≥90% tributyrin for the neat oil; microencapsulated powders typically 30–50% tributyrin on a carrier
Source material: synthetic esterification of butyric acid and glycerol
As supplied: Microencapsulated powder grades are only 30–50% tributyrin; scale raw-material weight to the assayed tributyrin percentage.
Format suitability
- Capsule
- Powder
- Tablet
- Softgel
- Gummy
- Liquid
Neat tributyrin is an oily liquid with a strong rancid-butter odor; use softgels or a microencapsulated powder grade for capsules and flavored powders. Not suitable for gummies.
Formulation notes
Odor can bleed through capsules over time unless encapsulated; carrier matters for stability. CoreBiome is a branded microencapsulated tributyrin.
Sources
- Butyrate and hexanoate-enriched triglycerides increase postprandrial systemic butyrate and hexanoate in men with overweight/obesity: A double-blind placebo-controlled randomized crossover trial. (van Deuren 2022)PubMed
- Phase I study of the orally administered butyrate prodrug, tributyrin, in patients with solid tumors. (Conley 1998)PubMed
- NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database — tributyrin productsNIH DSLD
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