Description
Dichloroacetic acid is a simple halogenated acetic acid compound with two chlorides at the α-position. Dichloroacetic acid has been demonstrated to inhibit mitochondrial PDK (pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase) and to shift cellular metabolism from glycolysis to glucose oxidation, and these activities have been correlated to interruption of apoptosis resistance in certain cancer cell lines.A mitochondrial PDK (pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase) inhibitor.Dichloroacetic acid (DCA) can be used as:· A reactant in the synthesis of chloroketones by reacting with esters in the presence of LiHMDS via Claisen-type homologation reaction.· A structure-directing agent, solvent, or plastdopant for the preparation of different morphologies of polyaniline (PANI). Self-assembling nanostructured PANI may be formed due to the presence of strong hydrogen bonding between DCA and aniline/polyaniline.Dichloroacetic acid salts are used as drugs due to its inhibition of the enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase. It is also employed to stem the production of lactic acid to treat lactic acidosis. It is clinically essential in children to treat lactic acidosis