Homogentisic acid
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| Names | |
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| IUPAC name
(2,5-Dihydroxyphenyl)acetic acid
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| Other names
Melanic acid
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| Identifiers | |
451-13-8  |
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| ChEBI | CHEBI:44747 |
| ChemSpider | 759 |
| DrugBank | DB08327 |
| Jmol 3D model | Interactive image |
| KEGG | C00544 |
| MeSH | Homogentisic+acid |
| PubChem | 780 |
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| Properties | |
| C8H8O4 | |
| Molar mass | 168.15 g·mol−1 |
| Melting point | 150 to 152 °C (302 to 306 °F; 423 to 425 K) |
| Vapor pressure | {{{value}}} |
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Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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| Infobox references | |
Homogentisic acid (2,5-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid) is a phenolic acid found in Arbutus unedo (strawberry-tree) honey.[1] It is also present in the bacterial plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli[2] as well as in the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica[3] where it is associated with the production of brown pigments.
It is less commonly known as melanic acid, the name chosen by William Prout.
Human pathology
Accumulation of excess homogentisic acid and its oxide, named alkapton, is a result of the failure of the enzyme homogentisic acid 1,2-dioxygenase (typically due to a mutation) in the degradative pathway of tyrosine, consequently associated with alkaptonuria.[4]
Intermediate
It is an intermediate in the catabolism of aromatic amino acids such as phenylalanine and tyrosine.
