Alkaline hydrolysis generates sodium and/or potassium salts of free amino acids; oligopeptides (small chains of amino acids) are generated as intermediates in the reaction.Some amino
acids, such as arginine, asparagine, glutamine, and serine, are destroyed, while others are racemized; i.e., the
molecules are structurally modified from a left-handed configuration to a mixture of left-handed and righthanded
molecules. In addition, the carbohydrate (sugar) side chains are released from glycoproteins. Under the
extreme conditions of temperature and alkali concentration used in the alkaline hydrolysis process, the protein
coats of viruses are destroyed and the peptide bonds of prions are broken.