What are BOC-Amino acids?

BOC-amino acids are amino acids that contain a group of boronic ester groups. The boronic ester groups in BOC-amino acids can be found at the end of the molecule or within the chain itself. The most common type of BOC-amino acid is a dipeptide and it has two amino acids joined by an ester bond.

BOC-amino acids have been used in many ways including as a food additive and pharmaceutical drug. The use of BOC-amino acids as food additives was first proposed in 1978 by Robert J. Grossman while working at Nestle Research Center in Switzerland. He proposed using boronic esters as food additives because they have a lower melting point than other types such as succinic acid or glycerin, which makes them more suitable for use in cooking applications such as soups and sauces.

Another application for BOC-amino acids is pharmaceuticals, which can be used to make drugs that are resistant to degradation by digestive enzymes like pepsin and pancreatic lipase, which break down other drugs such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs).