Lactic acid

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Lactic acid is an organic acid with the molecular formula C3H6O3. In its solid state, it is white and in its liquid state is miscible with water. When dissolved, it forms a colorless solution. Production includes both artificial synthesis and natural sources. Lactic acid is an alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) due to the presence of a hydroxyl group adjacent to the carboxyl group. It is a synthetic intermediate in many organic synthesis industries and in various biochemical industries. The conjugate base of lactic acid is called lactate (or the lactate anion). The name of the derived acyl group is lactoyl. Lactic acid is chiral, consisting of two enantiomers. One is known as L-lactic acid, (S)-lactic acid, or (+)-lactic acid, and the other, its mirror image, is D-lactic acid, (R)-lactic acid, or (−)-lactic acid. A mixture of the two in equal amounts is called DL-lactic acid, or racemic lactic acid. In animals, L-lactate is constantly produced from pyruvate via the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH...

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