It is a precursor in the synthesis of various amino acids, such as alanine, and of malic acid and oxaloacetic acid, both intermediates in the KREBS CYCLE.
The synthetic medium of optical N acylalanines was N (2,6 xylyl) alanine.It was reacted with 1 menthol and prepared into its menthol esters which were purified by TLC, resolved and determined by HPLC.