| Malic acid | |
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hydroxybutanedioic acid |
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Other names
L-Malic acid |
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| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | 6915-15-7 |
| PubChem | 525 |
| ChemSpider | 510 , 83793 D-(+)-malic acid , 193317 L-(-)-malic acid |
| UNII | 817L1N4CKP |
| EC number | 230-022-8 |
| KEGG | D04843 |
| ChEBI | CHEBI:6650 |
| Jmol-3D images | Image 1 |
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| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | C4H6O5 |
| Molar mass | 134.09 g mol−1 |
| Density | 1.609 g cm−3 |
| Melting point |
130 °C, 403 K, 266 °F |
| Solubility in water | 558 g/L (at 20 °C)[1] |
| Acidity (pKa) | pKa1 = 3.40, pKa2 = 5.20 [2] |
| Related compounds | |
| Other anions | malate |
| Related carboxylic acids | succinic acid tartaric acid fumaric acid |
| Related compounds | butanol butyraldehyde crotonaldehyde sodium malate |
| (verify) (what is: /?) Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) |
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| Infobox references | |
Malic acid is an organic compound with the formula HO2CCH2CHOHCO2H. It is a dicarboxylic acid which is made by all living organisms, contributes to the pleasantly sour taste of fruits, and is used as a food additive. Malic acid has two stereoisomeric forms (L- and D-enantiomers), though only the L-isomer exists naturally. The salts and esters of malic acid are known as malates. The malate anion is an intermediate in the citric acid cycle.
Contents |
L-Malic acid is the naturally occurring form, whereas a mixture of L- and D-malic acid is produced synthetically.
Malate plays an important role in biochemistry. In the C4 carbon fixation process, malate is a source of CO2 in the Calvin cycle. In the citric acid cycle, (S)-malate is an intermediate, formed by the addition of an -OH group on the si face of fumarate. It can also be formed from pyruvate via anaplerotic reactions.
Malate is also synthesized by the carboxylation of phosphoenolpyruvate in the guard cells of plant leaves. Malate, as a double anion, often accompanies potassium cations during the uptake of solutes into the guard cells in order to maintain electrical balance in the cell. The accumulation of these solutes within the guard cell decreases the solute potential, allowing water to enter the cell and promote aperture of the stomata.
Malic acid was first isolated from apple juice by Carl Wilhelm Scheele in 1785. Antoine Lavoisier in 1787 proposed the name acide malique which is derived from the Latin word for apple, mālum.[3] Malic acid contributes to the sourness of green apples. It is present in grapes and in most wines with concentrations sometimes as high as 5 g/l.[4] It confers a tart taste to wine, although the amount decreases with increasing fruit ripeness. The process of malolactic fermentation converts malic acid to much milder lactic acid.
Malic acid, when added to food products, is denoted by E number E296. Malic acid is the source of extreme tartness in USA-produced confectionery, the so-called extreme candy. It is also used with or in place of the less sour citric acid in sour sweets. These sweets are sometimes labeled with a warning stating that excessive consumption can cause irritation of the mouth. It is approved for use as a food additive in the EU,[5] USA[6] and Australia and New Zealand[7] (where it is listed by its INS number 296).
Malic acid is produced industrially by the double hydration of maleic anhydride.[8]
Self-condensation of malic acid with fuming sulfuric acid gives the pyrone coumalic acid:[9]
Malic acid was important in the discovery of the Walden inversion and the Walden cycle, in which (-)-malic acid first is converted into (+)-chlorosuccinic acid by action of phosphorus pentachloride. Wet silver oxide then converts the chlorine compound to (+)-malic acid, which then reacts with PCl5 to the (-)-chlorosuccinic acid. The cycle is completed when silver oxide takes this compound back to (-)-malic acid.
Click on genes, proteins and metabolites below to link to respective articles.[10]
| Oxaloacetate | Malate | Fumarate | Succinate | Succinyl-CoA | ||||||||||||||
| Acetyl-CoA | NADH + H+ | NAD+ | H2O | FADH2 | FAD | CoA + ATP(GTP) | Pi + ADP(GDP) | |||||||||||
| + | H2O | NADH + H+ + CO2 | ||||||||||||||||
| CoA | NAD+ | |||||||||||||||||
| H2O | H2O | NAD(P)+ | NAD(P)H + H+ | CO2 | ||||||||||||||
| Citrate | cis-Aconitate | Isocitrate | Oxalosuccinate | α-Ketoglutarate | ||||||||||||||
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