Beta-Alanine

• 3- amino propionic acid
• 3- aminopropanoic (IUPAC)

White, odorless solid

Fixed

1.44 g · cm -3

200 ° C ( decomposition)

Readily soluble in water: 545 g · l-1 (20 ° C)

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β -alanine is the biogenic amine of the proteinogenic amino acid aspartic acid. β -alanine is itself also an amino acid and structurally a constitutional isomer of the proteinogenic amino acid α -alanine.

The difference between them lies in the position of the amino group. Alanine is an α -amino acid. In her there is the amino group at the α - carbon atom ( which is the first carbon atom after the carboxyl carbon atom). β -alanine is a β - amino acid, the amino group is located at its at β - carbon atom ( the second carbon atom on the carboxyl carbon atom). Hence the name of this amino acid.

β -alanine is the simplest representative of the β - amino acids and a degradation product of the pyrimidine bases. β -alanine and pantoic acid react to pantothenic acid, which in turn is included in the CoA.