Evaluation of gamma‐hydroxybutyrate formed from L‐glutamate by mouse brain homogenate

succinic semialdehyde phydroxybutyric acid Metabolic pathway from L-glutamate to y-hydroxybutyric acid In our studies on the stereochemistry of the steps of the metabolic pathway of L-glutamate by mouse brain in uitro, we needed to estimate the conversion of L-glutamate into GHB by isolation of a suitable derivative of the GHB formed. A simple method is the transformation of GHB into y-butyrolactone. which is distillable in uacuo. Subsequent reaction with phenylhydrazine should afford the phenylhydrazide of y-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB-phenylhydrazide), which could then be purified by crystallization. This report deals with the formation of GHB from glutamate by mouse brain homogenates and the isolation of GHB-phenylhydrazide using this method.