Organic Acids Testing 

Toxins Combination Profiles

Pairing toxin testing with organic acids reveals the root causes of metabolic dysfunction. Organic acids highlight mitochondrial stress, detox burden, and neuroinflammation, while toxin testing identifies the toxins driving those imbalances, giving practitioners clearer answers and more targeted treatment options.

62 Organic Acids Test Analytes

 

Take a deeper diver in our new, expanded Organic Acids Test with nearly twice the markers of our original test.

• Ketone/Fatty Acid Metabolites

  Fatty acid oxidation pathways critical for energy production and metabolic regulation. Dietary fatty acids undergo alpha, beta, and omega oxidation, each playing distinct roles in cellular function. Alpha oxidation in peroxisomes breaks down specific fatty acids like phytanic acid, while beta oxidation in the liver generates acetyl-CoA for the citric acid cycle and ATP production. Defects in these pathways affect energy production and ketone body synthesis, crucial for brain and heart function.

  Omega oxidation, typically minor, becomes significant in conditions like carnitine deficiency. Elevated dicarboxylic acids levels indicate fatty acid oxidation defects.

  • Adipic Acid
  • Suberic Acid
  • Ethylmalonic Acid
  • Pimelic Acid
  • Methyl-Succinic Acid

• Carbohydrate Metabolism/Glycolysis

  Dietary carbohydrates are broken down into glucose and other sugars where carbohydrate breakdown products, pyruvic acid and lactic acid are formed. Pyruvic acid enters the krebs cycle via dehydrogenase enzymes which require vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) and lipoic acid to function correctly. In the absence of these nutrients, lactic acid builds up leading to lactic acidosis. Elevated pyruvic acid and lactic acid can indicate a need for lipoic acid.

  • Pyruvic Acid
  • Lactic Acid
  • b-OH-Butyric Acid
  • Glucose (OA)

• Citric Acid Cycle Metabolites

  Citric acid cycle is the pathway for energy released from food components and the source of anabolic molecules to support organ maintenance and neurological function. Therefore, the citric acid cycle serves both anabolic and catabolic functions representing the crossroads of food conversion and utilization. Low levels of citric acid, isocitric acid and cis-aconitic acid may occur due to pathways that draw intermediates away for biosynthesis such as heme synthesis by succinate.

  • Citric Acid
  • cis-Aconitic Acid
  • Isocitric Acid
  • a-Ketoglutaric Acid
  • Succinic Acid
  • Fumaric Acid
  • Malic Acid
  • b-OH-b-Methylglutaric Acid

• B-Complex Vitamins & Amino Acid Markers

  B-complex vitamin markers are metabolic intermediates in the degradation of amino acids. When hepatic enzymes remove branched-chain amino acids, they form keto acids. B-complex vitamins are essential for many in metabolic functions in the body used to extract energy from cellular health, remove toxins, and maintain the immune system. B- complex vitamin deficiencies produce symptoms associated with homocysteinemia effects or mitochondriopathy-associated symptoms which include periodic weakness, nausea, fatigue, attention deficit or Reye Syndrome. 

  • a-Ketoisovaleric Acid
  • a-Ketoisocaproic Acid
  • a-Keto-b-Methylvaleric Acid
  • Xanthurenic Acid
  • beta-Hydroxyisovaleric Acid

• Methylation Cofactors

  Methylmalonic acid (MMA) and formiminoglutamic acid (FIGLU) represent utilisation of vitamin B12 and folic acid in the krebs cycle. Consider testing for methylation profile or advanced methylation genetics to identify all methylation pathways including the SAMe and folate pathways.

  • Methylmalonic Acid
  • Formiminoglutamic Acid

• Neurotransmitter Metabolism

  Neurotransmitter metabolites of dopamine is measured as HVA; catecholamines as VMA and serotonin as 5HIAA. Consider neurotransmitter analysis for detailed analysis of all neurotransmitters with neurotransmitter extensive, intermediate or advanced panels.

  • Homovanillic Acid (HVA)
  • Vanillylmandelic Acid (VMA)
  • 5-Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid (5HIAA)
  • Kynurenic Acid
  • Quinolinic Acid (OA)
  • Picolinic Acid
  • Cortisol (OA)

• Oxidative Damage/AntiOxidant Markers

  The assessment of protection from oxidant and ammonia challenge should be of priority when detoxification requirement is suspected. Oxidative stress has been associated with a variety of diseases like diabetes, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and aging.

  • ParaHydroxyphenyllactate
  • 8 OH-deoxyguanosine

• Detoxification Indicators

  Detoxification status and biotransformation capacities are identified as organic acids which serve as distinct markers of the detoxification system, providing insight about both exogenous toxin accumulation and endogenous detoxification processes. Elevations in toxicant and detoxification markers reveal aspects of xenobiotic exposure, endogenous toxins and detoxification functions.

  • 2-Methylhippuric Acid
  • Orotic Acid
  • Glucaric Acid
  • a-OH-Butyric Acid
  • Pyroglutamic Acid

• Bacterial Dysbiosis Markers

  The abnormal overgrowth of microflora in the small and large intestine is referred to as gut dysbiosis. Undigested dietary polyphenols are the predominant substrate for growth of most intestinal microbes.

  When there is intestinal dysbiosis due to poor diet, inadequate digestion, or leaky gut due to an immune reaction, there may be an overgrowth of unfavorable microflora. The products produced include: benzoate, hippurate, phenylacetate, phenylpropionate, p-hydroxybenzoate, p- hydroxyphenyl-acetate, indican and tricarballylate. 

  • Benzoate (OA)
  • Hippurate (OA)
  • Phenylacetate
  • Phenylpropionate
  • ParaHydroxyBenzoate
  • p-HydroxyPhenylacetate
  • Indoleacetic Acid
  • Tricarballylate
  • D-Lactate

• Clostridial Species

  Transamination to form para-hydroxy-phenylacetic acid and decarboxylation to p-cresol are carried out by clostridia. Unassimilated dietary tyrosine is metabolised by P.Vulgaris and clostridia difficile.

  • Dihydroxyphenylpropionic Acid
  • 4-Cresol
  • 3-OH-Proprionic Acid

• Yeast/Fungal Dysbiosis Markers

  Markers that could indicate an overgrowth of opportunistic yeast and fungus in the gut, including Candida and Clostridia.

  • Arabinitol
  • Citramalic Acid
  • Tartaric Acid

• Oxalate Metabolites

  Oxalate markers are primarily known for its formation of calcium oxalate kidney stones. Maintaining high magnesium and citrate can be helpful to avoid oxalate crystal deposition.

  • Oxalic Acid
  • Glyceric Acid
  • Glycolic Acid

• Nutritional Markers

  Some of the essential nutrient to support the krebs cycle in ATP production are measured as a guide of sufficiency. Consider amino acid analysis and vitamin status analysis.

  • Pyridoxic Acid (Vit B6)
  • Pantothenic Acid (Vit B5)
  • Glutaric Acid (Vit B2)
  • Ascorbic Acid (Vit C)
  • CoEnzyme-Q10 (CoQ10)
  • N-Acetylcysteine (NAC)