描述
Methylglyoxal, also known as 2-ketopropionaldehyde or 2-oxopropanal, is a member of the class of compounds known as alpha ketoaldehydes. Alpha ketoaldehydes are organic compounds containing an aldehyde substituted with a keto group on the adjacent carbon. Methylglyoxal is soluble (in water) and an extremely weak acidic compound (based on its pKa). Methylglyoxal can be found in a number of food items such as shiitake, yellow zucchini, roman camomile, and carob, which makes methylglyoxal a potential biomarker for the consumption of these food products. Methylglyoxal can be found primarily in blood and urine, as well as throughout most human tissues. Methylglyoxal exists in all living species, ranging from bacteria to humans. In humans, methylglyoxal is involved in few metabolic pathways, which include glycine and serine metabolism, pyruvaldehyde degradation, pyruvate metabolism, and spermidine and spermine biosynthesis. Methylglyoxal is also involved in several metabolic disorders, some of which include hyperglycinemia, non-ketotic, pyruvate kinase deficiency, non ketotic hyperglycinemia, and pyruvate decarboxylase E1 component deficiency (PDHE1 deficiency). Moreover, methylglyoxal is found to be associated with diabetes mellitus type 2. Methylglyoxal, also called pyruvaldehyde or 2-oxopropanal, is the organic compound with the formula CH3C(O)CHO. Gaseous methylglyoxal has two carbonyl groups, an aldehyde and a ketone but in the presence of water, it exists as hydrates and oligomers. It is a reduced derivative of pyruvic acid .