Alpha-Aminobutyric Acid Unit Converter

Alpha-aminobutyric acid (AABA) is a non-protein amino acid produced during the breakdown of the essential amino acids methionine and threonine. It is not used to build proteins, but instead serves as a metabolic intermediate and a marker of underlying biochemical activity.

AABA is closely linked to glutathione synthesis. It is generated alongside cysteine, the rate-limiting substrate for glutathione production, so rising AABA levels reflect increased glutathione turnover in response to oxidative stress.

Because it sits at the intersection of amino acid catabolism, energy production, and antioxidant defense, AABA is considered a general marker of metabolic and health status rather than a single-organ indicator.

AABA is produced primarily in the liver through transamination of 2-oxobutyric acid, a byproduct of methionine and threonine catabolism. Smaller amounts arise from the metabolism of serine and homocysteine via the transsulfuration pathway.