4-aminobenzoic acid

Key Attributes.

4-Aminobenzoic acid Synonyms: 1-Amino-4-carboxybenzene; p-Aminobenzoic acid; PABA Molecular Structure: Molecular Formula: C7H7NO2 Molecular Weight: 137.14 CAS Number: 150-13-0 EINECS: 205-753-0 4-Aminobenzoic acid (also known as para-aminobenzoic acid or PABA) is an organic compound. PABA is a white crystalline substance that is only slightly soluble in water. It consists of a benzene ring substituted with an amino group and a carboxyl group. PABA is an essential nutrient for some bacteria and is sometimes called Vitamin Bx. In humans, PABA is normally made by E-coli in the colon and therefore PABA from food is not normally essential to human health. PABA is therefore not officially classified as a vitamin. PABA is an intermediate in bacterial synthesis of folate. Although humans lack the ability to synthesize folate from PABA, that is also normally done by E-coli. PABA is sometimes marketed as an essential nutrient for use whenever normal PABA synthesis by intestinal bacteria i