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.