4414
T3D4360
Glycerol
Glycerol or glycerin is a colourless, odourless, viscous liquid that is sweet-tasting and mostly non-toxic. It is widely used in the food industry as a sweetener and humectant and in pharmaceutical formulations. Glycerol is an important component of triglycerides (i.e. fats and oils) and of phospholipids. Glycerol is a three-carbon substance that forms the backbone of fatty acids in fats. When the body uses stored fat as a source of energy, glycerol and fatty acids are released into the bloodstream. The glycerol component can be converted into glucose by the liver and provides energy for cellular metabolism. Normally, glycerol shows very little acute toxicity and very high oral doses or acute exposures can be tolerated. On the other hand, chronically high levels of glycerol in the blood are associated with glycerol kinase deficiency (GKD). GKD causes the condition known as hyperglycerolemia, an accumulation of glycerol in the blood and urine. There are three clinically distinct forms of GKD: infantile, juvenile, and adult. The infantile form is the most severe and is associated with vomiting, lethargy, severe developmental delay, and adrenal insufficiency. The mechanisms of glycerol toxicity in infants are not known, but it appears to shift metabolism towards chronic acidosis. Acidosis typically occurs when arterial pH falls below 7.35. In infants with acidosis, the initial symptoms include poor feeding, vomiting, loss of appetite, weak muscle tone (hypotonia), and lack of energy (lethargy). These can progress to heart, liver, and kidney abnormalities, seizures, coma, and possibly death. These are also the characteristic symptoms of untreated GKD. Many affected children with organic acidemias experience intellectual disability or delayed development. Patients with the adult form of GKD generally have no symptoms and are often detected fortuitously.
56-81-5
753
C3H8O3
20°C
1000.0 mg/mL
No indication of carcinogenicity to humans (not listed by IARC).
This is an endogenously produced metabolite found in the human body. It is used in metabolic reactions, catabolic reactions or waste generation.
Chronically high levels of glycerol are associated with Glycerol Kinase Deficiency.
2014-08-29T06:34:10Z
2018-03-21T17:46:19Z
Glycerol
C00116
17522
GLYCEROL
DB04077
GOL
true
OCC(O)CO
C3H8O3
InChI=1S/C3H8O3/c4-1-3(6)2-5/h3-6H,1-2H2
InChIKey=PEDCQBHIVMGVHV-UHFFFAOYSA-N
92.0938
92.047344122
Endogenous
Liquid
-1.76
HMDB00131
CHEMBL692
733
<p>Tatsuro Tsuneno, Masaaki Takaku, “Process for preparing boric esters of glycerol fatty acid esters.” U.S. Patent US4515725, issued March, 1968.</p>