Urinary phenylacetic acid (PAA) is the product of unidentified, specific strains of bacteria, marking a state of bacterial overgrowth when it is elevated in urine. Intestinal bacterial action on dietary polyphenols causes the appearance of PAA in urine.
For individuals with normal, healthy intestinal function, phenylacetate should not appear in more than background concentrations in urine. However, phenylacetate is a trace product of endogenous phenylalanine catabolism that can accumulate in the phenylalaninemic state found in phenylketonuria (PKU).
Resources:
- http://www.altmedrev.com/archive/publications/13/4/292.pdf
- http://www.thespinalcentre.com.au/wp-content/uploads/1216.Urinary%20Organic%20Acids.pdf
Phenylacetic Acid
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