L-Carnitine
Also known as Levocarnitine, Carnitine
L-carnitine is a small quaternary ammonium compound that carries long-chain fatty acids into mitochondria for oxidation. As levocarnitine it is an approved drug for carnitine deficiency, and it is studied in muscle metabolism, body weight, and cardiovascular risk.
Approved drug substance
Size
1 option- Catalog no.
- LC600
- Specification
- 10ml*10vials
- Per kit
- 10 vials
For laboratory research use only. Not for human or animal consumption. Buyers must be 21 or older.
Overview
L-carnitine is made in the liver and kidney from lysine and methionine and is also obtained from food, especially red meat. Most of the body's carnitine is stored in skeletal and cardiac muscle. Levocarnitine is FDA-approved for primary systemic carnitine deficiency and for some secondary deficiencies, including in people with end-stage kidney disease on dialysis. Research has examined whether supplementation raises muscle carnitine and changes fuel use during exercise, its effect on body weight, and the gut microbial conversion of carnitine to trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a metabolite linked to atherosclerosis.
Class: Fatty acid transport cofactor (quaternary ammonium nutrient)
Mechanism of action
How the compound acts, as described in the literature.
Carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1) on the outer mitochondrial membrane converts long-chain acyl-CoA to acylcarnitine, the rate-controlling step in fatty acid entry.
Carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase moves acylcarnitines across the inner membrane, where CPT2 regenerates acyl-CoA for beta-oxidation.
Forms acetylcarnitine to buffer excess acetyl-CoA, which can influence pyruvate dehydrogenase activity and the balance between carbohydrate and fat oxidation.
Gut bacteria convert dietary carnitine to trimethylamine, which the liver oxidizes to TMAO.
Published research
Selected studies, each linked to its PubMed record. Summaries describe what the studies reported.
2011
RCT
PMID 21224234Chronic oral ingestion of L-carnitine and carbohydrate increases muscle carnitine content and alters muscle fuel metabolism during exercise in humans.
Wall BT, et al. · J Physiol
In 14 healthy men, 24 weeks of L-carnitine with carbohydrate raised muscle total carnitine by 21%, reduced muscle glycogen use during low-intensity exercise, and increased work output by 11%, compared with carbohydrate alone.
2016
Meta-analysis
PMID 27335245The effect of (L-)carnitine on weight loss in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Pooyandjoo M, et al. · Obes Rev
Pooled nine RCTs with 911 adults. Carnitine groups lost more weight than controls (mean difference -1.33 kg) and had lower BMI, and the effect became smaller with longer duration of use.
2013
Rodent and human study
PMID 23563705Intestinal microbiota metabolism of L-carnitine, a nutrient in red meat, promotes atherosclerosis.
Koeth RA, et al. · Nat Med
Gut microbiota converted dietary L-carnitine to TMAO, which accelerated atherosclerosis in mice. Omnivores produced more TMAO than vegans or vegetarians, and high plasma carnitine predicted cardiovascular risk only when TMAO was also high.
Evidence & safety
What the research does not show, and the adverse events and regulatory status it reports.
Weight-loss effects in the meta-analysis were modest (about 1.3 kg) and became smaller over time, and the muscle-carnitine trial enrolled only 14 men. Levocarnitine labeling lists nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and body odor, and seizures have been reported in people with or without a prior seizure history. Gut microbial conversion of carnitine to TMAO has been linked to atherosclerosis in mice and to cardiovascular risk in humans.
Specifications
All sizes, exactly as catalogued.
| Catalog no. | Product | Specification | Vials per kit |
|---|---|---|---|
| LC600 | L-Carnitine | 10ml*10vials | 10 |
For laboratory research use only. Not for human or animal consumption. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Research summaries are provided for educational purposes and do not describe this product’s use.