Question

Importance of glucuronic acid in metabolism

Answer 1

Glucoronic acid (from Ancient Greek"sweet" + "urine") is a carboxylic acid. Itsstructure is similar to that of glucose. However, glucuronic acids 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. Glucuronic acid should not be confused with gluconic acid, a linear carboxylic acidresulting from the oxidation of a different carbon of glucose. Both glucuronic acid andgluconic acid are reported to be found in the fermented drink known as kombucha. IUPAC name (2S,3S,4S,5R,6R)-3,4,5,6-Tetrahydroxyoxane-2-carboxylic acidBy Norbert Hoffmann:Glucuronic acid is considered by many to be one of the important key components found inKombucha Tea because of its detoxifying action. It is widely distributed in plants, found ingums, mucilages, saponines etc. and in animals. The related compound, UDPGlucuronicacid which is the active or co-enzyme form of Glucuronic acid, has been discovered inseveral non-Kombucha bacteria by at least eight scientists (Dutton, 1980). Since metabolicprocesses in related organisms are generally similar, it can, therefore, be expected thatUDP-Glucuronic acid is also present in the Kombucha bacteria. This, of course, still has tobe substantiated. It is this compound which binds toxins in the body and allows theirelimination. Dutton (1966) states that "the biosynthesis of the simple conjugates ofGlucuronic acid was shown to occur, somewhat ironically, ... by glucuronyl transference froman active form, UDP (uridinediphosphate)-Glucuronic acid, and (it was) demonstrated thatthis nucleotide was derived, in animals, not from glucuronate, but from glucose by way ofUDP-glucose