acetoasetaattiin

Acetoasetaattiin refers to salts and esters of acetoacetic acid. Acetoacetic acid itself is a beta-keto acid, meaning it has a ketone group on the carbon atom adjacent to the carboxyl group. This structure makes acetoacetic acid unstable and it readily decarboxylates (loses carbon dioxide) to form acetone and carbon dioxide. Therefore, acetoasetaattiin compounds are the more commonly encountered forms.

Esters of acetoacetic acid are known as acetoacetates. These are important compounds in organic synthesis, particularly in reactions like the acetoacetic ester synthesis. This synthesis allows for the preparation of substituted ketones. Ethyl acetoacetate is a widely used example of an acetoacetate ester. Salts of acetoacetic acid are also known, though less commonly discussed than the esters.

In biological contexts, acetoacetate is one of the three ketone bodies produced by the liver during periods of fasting, starvation, or prolonged exercise when glucose is scarce. The other ketone bodies are beta-hydroxybutyrate and acetone. Acetoacetate serves as an alternative fuel source for tissues, especially the brain, when glucose is not readily available. The body can convert acetoacetate back into acetyl-CoA, which can then enter the citric acid cycle for energy production.