# urocanic acid

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. An intermediate in the catabolism of L-histidine, transformed in the liver by urocanate hydratase (or urocanase) into 4-imidazolone-5-propionic acid and subsequently to glutamic acid.

## Etymology
Latin urina (“urine”) and canis (“dog”), because first isolated in 1874 from dog urine.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/urocanic-acid