Allantoin (ALT)

Allantoin is a chemical compound with formula C4H6N4O3. After birth, it is the predominant means by which nitrogenous waste is excreted in the urine of these animals. In humans and higher apes, the metabolic pathway for conversion of uric acid to allantoin is not present, so the former is excreted. Recombinant rasburicase is sometimes used as a drug to catalyze this metabolic conversion in patients. In fish, allantoin is broken down further (into ammonia) before excretion. Allantoin is a major metabolic intermediate in many other organisms including plants and bacteria. Allantoin is present in botanical extracts of the comfrey plant and in the urine of most mammals. Chemically synthesized bulk allantoin, which is chemically equivalent to natural allantoin, is safe, non-toxic, compatible with cosmetic raw materials and meets CTFA and JSCI requirements.