The Strecker degradation is a chemical reaction which converts an α-amino acid into an aldehyde containing the side chain, by way of an imine intermediate.
It is named after Adolph Strecker, a German chemist.
The original observation by Strecker involved the use of alloxan as the oxidant in the first step,[1] followed by hydrolysis: The reaction can take place using a variety of organic and inorganic reagents.
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