Glucuronolactone or Glucurolactone (

INN Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway. Before the advent of motorized transportation, they also provided accomm ...

) is a naturally occurring substance that is an important structural component of nearly all

connective tissue Connective tissue is one of the four primary types of animal tissue, a group of cells that are similar in structure, along with epithelial tissue, muscle tissue, and nervous tissue. It develops mostly from the mesenchyme, derived from the mesod ...

s. It is sometimes used in

energy drinks An energy drink is a type of non-alcoholic psychoactive functional beverage containing stimulant compounds, usually caffeine (at a higher concentration than ordinary soda pop) and taurine, which is marketed as reducing tiredness and improving p ...

. Unfounded claims that glucuronolactone can be used to reduce "brain fog" are based on research conducted on energy drinks that contain other active ingredients that have been shown to improve cognitive function, such as

caffeine Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine chemical classification, class and is the most commonly consumed Psychoactive drug, psychoactive substance globally. It is mainly used for its eugeroic (wakefulness pr ...

. Glucuronolactone is also found in many plant gums.

Physical and chemical properties

Glucuronolactone is a white solid odorless compound, soluble in hot and cold water. Its melting point ranges from 176 to 178 °C. The compound can exist in a monocyclic

aldehyde In organic chemistry, an aldehyde () (lat. ''al''cohol ''dehyd''rogenatum, dehydrogenated alcohol) is an organic compound containing a functional group with the structure . The functional group itself (without the "R" side chain) can be referred ...

form or in a

bicyclic A bicyclic molecule () is a molecule that features two joined rings. Bicyclic structures occur widely, for example in many biologically important molecules like α-thujene and camphor. A bicyclic compound can be carbocyclic (all of the ring ...

hemiacetal In organic chemistry, a hemiacetal is a functional group the general formula , where is a hydrogen atom or an organic substituent. They generally result from the nucleophilic Addition reaction, addition of an Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol (a compo ...

(

lactol In organic chemistry, a lactol is a functional group which is the cyclic equivalent of a hemiacetal () or a hemiketal (). The compound is formed by the intramolecular, nucleophilic addition of a hydroxyl group () to the carbonyl group () of an ...

) form. :

History

It is unknown if glucuronolactone is safe for human consumption due to a lack of proper human or animal trials. However, it likely has limited effects on the human body. Furthermore research on isolated supplements of glucuronolactone is limited, no warnings appear on the

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respo ...

website regarding its potential to cause brain tumors or other maladies.

Uses

Glucuronolactone is an ingredient used in some

, often in unnaturally high doses. Research into Glucuronolactone is too limited to assert claims about its safety The

European Food Safety Authority The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is the agency of the European Union (EU) that provides independent scientific advice and communicates on existing and emerging risks associated with the food chain. EFSA was established in February 2002 ...

(EFSA) has concluded that it is unlikely that glucurono-γ-lactone would have any interaction with caffeine,

taurine Taurine (), or 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, is a naturally occurring amino sulfonic acid that is widely distributed in animal tissues. It is a major constituent of bile and can be found in the large intestine. It is named after Latin (cogna ...

, alcohol or the effects of exercise. The Panel also concluded, based on the data available, that additive interactions between taurine and caffeine on diuretic effects are unlikely. According to ''

The Merck Index ''The Merck Index'' is an encyclopedia of chemicals, drugs and biologicals with over 10,000 monographs on single substances or groups of related compounds published online by the Royal Society of Chemistry. History The first edition of the Mer ...

'', glucuronolactone is used as a detoxicant. Glucuronolactone is also metabolized to glucaric acid,

xylitol Xylitol is a chemical compound with the formula , or HO(CH2)(CHOH)3(CH2)OH; specifically, one particular Stereoisomerism, stereoisomer with that structural formula. It is a colorless or white crystalline solid. It is classified as a polyalcoho ...

, and L-xylulose, and humans may also be able to use glucuronolactone as a precursor for

ascorbic acid Ascorbic acid is an organic compound with formula , originally called hexuronic acid. It is a white solid, but impure samples can appear yellowish. It dissolves freely in water to give mildly acidic solutions. It is a mild reducing agent. Asco ...

synthesis. Glucuronolactone is approved in China and Japan as an over-the-counter " hepatoprotectant", though there is a conspicuous lack of systematic reviews on this use.

References

{{reflist Monosaccharides Gamma-lactones Tetrahydrofurans

Physical and chemical properties

History

Uses

See also

References