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Glucuronic acid, also known as glucuronate, is a uronic acid derived from glucose by oxidation of the terminal carbon to a carboxyl group. It exists mainly in its ionized form at physiological pH and contributes a carboxyl moiety to various biopolymers. Its chemical formula is C6H10O7. In mammals, glucuronic acid is produced and utilized in an activated form, UDP-glucuronic acid (UDP-GlcA), generated from UDP-glucose by UDP-glucose dehydrogenase.

A central role of glucuronic acid is in detoxification through glucuronidation. UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) transfer the glucuronoyl group to a wide range of substrates, including bilirubin, various drugs, hormones, and xenobiotics. This conjugation increases water solubility and facilitates excretion via bile or urine. Glucuronidation is a major pathway for drug clearance and can be influenced by genetic variation and drug interactions.

Glucuronic acid is also a key building block of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). It is a component of hyaluronic acid and of other GAGs such as chondroitin sulfate. In hyaluronic acid, repeating disaccharides consist of D-glucuronic acid and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, contributing to the highly hydrated, negatively charged extracellular matrix in connective tissues.

In summary, glucuronic acid serves essential structural roles in extracellular matrices and as a critical substrate for detoxification reactions that enhance the elimination of many compounds.