Description
Glucuronic acid (from Ancient Greek γλυκ?? "sweet" + ο?ρον "urine") is a carboxylic acid. Its structure is similar to that of glucose. However, glucuronic acid's sixth carbon is oxidized to a carboxylic acid. Its formula is C6H10O7. The salts and esters of glucuronic acid are known as glucuronates; the anion C6H9O7-is the glucuronate ion.
Chemical Properties
White Solid
Definition
ChEBI: A D-glucopyranuronic acid in which the anomeric centre has alpha-configuration.
Definition
glucuronic acid: A compound,OC6H9O6, derived from the oxidationof glucose. It is an important constituentof gums and mucilages. Glucuronicacid can combine withhydroxyl (–OH), carboxyl (–COOH), oramino (-NH2) groups to form a glucuronide.The addition of a glucuronidegroup to a molecule(glucuronidation) generally increasesthe solubility of a compound; henceglucuronidation plays an importantrole in the excretion of foreign substances.
Biological Functions
Proteoglycans Glucuronic acid is common in carbohydrate chains of proteoglycans. It is part of mucous animal secretions (such as saliva), cell glycocalyx and intercellular matrix (for instance hyaluronan))
Glucuronidation of toxic substances
In the animal body, glucuronic acid is often linked to the xenobiotic metabolism of substances such as drugs, pollutants, bilirubin, androgens, estrogens, mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids, fatty acid derivatives, retinoids, and bile acids. These linkages involve glycosidic bonds, and this linkage process is known as glucuronidation. Glucuronidation occurs mainly in the liver, although the enzyme responsible for its catalysis, UDP-glucuronyltransferase, has been found in all major body organs, e.g., intestine, kidneys, brain, adrenal gland, spleen, and thymus.
Use
Determination of urinary steroids and of steroid conjugates in blood. Contained in some commercially available brands of Kombucha as an antioxidant & organic acid In all plants and mammals - other than guinea pigs and primatesglucuronic acid is a precursor of ascorbic acid , also known as vitamin c.
ConformationUnlike its C5 epimer iduronic acid, which may occur in a number of conformations, glucuronic acid occurs in predominantly the 4C1 conformation.
Glucuronidases
Glucuronidases are those enzymes that hydrolyze the glycosidic bond between glucuronic acid and some other compound.
General Description
Pharmaceutical secondary standards for application in quality control provide pharma laboratories and manufacturers with a convenient and cost-effective alternative to the preparation of in-house working standards
Biochem/physiol Actions
In humans, glucuronic acid conjugation with steroidal compounds and drugs is an important step in phase II metabolic reactions. This influences the biotransformation process of the compound.
Purification Methods
Crystallise the acid from EtOH or EtOAc, wash it with MeOH and dry it in vacuo to give the “ ” form. Heating converts it to the lactone (see below). The sodium salt monohydrate [207300-70-7] M 234.1 has m ~136-138o(dec) [] D 20 +21o (c 2, H2O after 2hours). [Sutter & Reichstein Helv Chim Acta 21 1210 1938, Beilstein 3 H 886, 3 IV 1997.]
