Absolute configuration of 3-hydroxyadipic acid in human urine

A method involving derivatization and combined gas chromatography--mass spectrometry has been developed to separate the enantiomers of 3-hydroxyadipic acid. By combining this method with asymmetric synthesis of the same acid, it has been shown that 3-hydroxyadipic acid excreted in urine consists of at least 95% of the L-enantiomer. This finding supports the hypothesis that dicarboxylic acids are degraded by ordinary beta-oxidation, and indicates that adipic acid may be converted into succinic acid.