The gut microbiota ferments undigested fiber to produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as butyrate, acetate, and propionate. These play a crucial role in metabolic regulation, especially in obesity and diabetes. This study aimed to evaluate the potential toxic effects of SCFAs and LD50 following the IAEC 420 guidelines. Eighteen rats (150–250 g) were divided into three groups and administered a single dose of 2000 mg/kg body weight of butyrate, propionate, & acetate. The animals were observed for signs of toxicity over 14 days. For the sub-acute toxicity study, 1/5 of the acute toxicity dose (400 mg/kg) was administered daily for 28 days, followed by urine and blood sample collection for biochemical and haematological analysis on day 29th. The animals were then euthanized, and their organs were extracted for histopathological examination. The results showed no significant differences among the treatment groups, and histopathological analysis revealed no abnormalities in the examined organs. These findings suggest that SCFAs exhibit no observable toxicity at the tested doses. The LD50 for SCFAs was determined to be greater than 2000 mg/kg.
