Specifications of N-Acetylneuraminic Acid

Description of N-Acetylneuraminic Acid

N-Acetylneuraminic acid is often found as the terminal sugar of cell surface glycoproteins. Salic acids are nine-carbon carbohydrate α-keto acids that have many important biological functions, including cell-cell recognition and host-pathogen interactions. N-Acetylneuraminic acid (NANA) is the most abundant sialic acid and is found in bacteria as well as in eukaryotic cells. The pathways for NANA synthesis and metabolism in bacteria differ from those used in eukaryotic cells. This sialic acid is an essential component of human brain gangliosides and sialylated glycoproteins.

Applications of N-Acetylneuraminic Acid

• Foods and beverages
• Organic synthesis
• Medical research

Reference:

1. Methods Enzymol., 5, 391 (1962), Biochemistry, 18, 2086 (1979)