The Nutraceutical Value of Carnitine and Its Use in Dietary Supplements

doi:10.3390/molecules25092127

Review

. 2020 May 1;25(9):2127.

doi: 10.3390/molecules25092127.

The Nutraceutical Value of Carnitine and Its Use in Dietary Supplements

Alessandra Durazzo¹, Massimo Lucarini¹, Amirhossein Nazhand², Selma B Souto³, Amélia M Silva^{4

5}, Patrícia Severino^{6

7

8}, Eliana B Souto^{9

10}, Antonello Santini¹¹

Affiliations

¹ CREA-Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Rome, Italy.
² Department of Biotechnology, Sari Agriculture Science and Natural Resource University, 9th km of Farah Abad Road, Sari 48181 68984, Mazandaran, Iran.
³ Department of Endocrinology of Hospital São João, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal.
⁴ Department of Biology and Environment, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, P-5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
⁵ Centre for Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), P-5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
⁶ Industrial Biotechnology Program, University of Tiradentes (UNIT), Av. Murilo Dantas 300, Aracaju 49032-490, Brazil.
⁷ Tiradentes Institute, 150 Mt Vernon St, Dorchester, MA 02125, USA.
⁸ Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine (LNMED), Institute of Technology and Research (ITP), Av. Murilo Dantas, 300, Aracaju 49010-390, Brazil.
⁹ Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.
¹⁰ CEB-Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.
¹¹ Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli Federico II, Via. D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, Italy.

PMID: 32370025
PMCID: PMC7249051
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25092127

Review

The Nutraceutical Value of Carnitine and Its Use in Dietary Supplements

Alessandra Durazzo et al. Molecules. 2020.

. 2020 May 1;25(9):2127.

doi: 10.3390/molecules25092127.

Authors

Alessandra Durazzo¹, Massimo Lucarini¹, Amirhossein Nazhand², Selma B Souto³, Amélia M Silva^{4

5}, Patrícia Severino^{6

7

8}, Eliana B Souto^{9

10}, Antonello Santini¹¹

Affiliations

¹ CREA-Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Rome, Italy.
² Department of Biotechnology, Sari Agriculture Science and Natural Resource University, 9th km of Farah Abad Road, Sari 48181 68984, Mazandaran, Iran.
³ Department of Endocrinology of Hospital São João, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal.
⁴ Department of Biology and Environment, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, P-5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
⁵ Centre for Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), P-5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
⁶ Industrial Biotechnology Program, University of Tiradentes (UNIT), Av. Murilo Dantas 300, Aracaju 49032-490, Brazil.
⁷ Tiradentes Institute, 150 Mt Vernon St, Dorchester, MA 02125, USA.
⁸ Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine (LNMED), Institute of Technology and Research (ITP), Av. Murilo Dantas, 300, Aracaju 49010-390, Brazil.
⁹ Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.
¹⁰ CEB-Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.
¹¹ Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli Federico II, Via. D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, Italy.

PMID: 32370025
PMCID: PMC7249051
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25092127

Abstract

Carnitine can be considered a conditionally essential nutrient for its importance in human physiology. This paper provides an updated picture of the main features of carnitine outlining its interest and possible use. Particular attention has been addressed to its beneficial properties, exploiting carnitine's properties and possible use by considering the main in vitro, in animal, and human studies. Moreover, the main aspects of carnitine-based dietary supplements have been indicated and defined with reference to their possible beneficial health properties.

Keywords: carnitine; food supplements; in animal studies; in humans studies; in vitro studies; nutraceuticals.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

**Figure 1**
Chemical structure of L-carnitine.

**Figure 2**
Chemical structure of acetyl-l-carnitine and propionyl-l-carnitine.

**Figure 3**
Overview of carnitine biological activities.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

1. Alesci S. Carnitine: The science behind a conditionally essential nutrient. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 2004;1033:1–197. - PubMed
1. Wolf G. The discovery of a vitamin role for carnitine: The first 50 years. J. Nutr. 2006;136:2131–2134. doi: 10.1093/jn/136.8.2131. - DOI - PubMed
1. Sharma S., Black S.M. Carnitine homeostasis, mitochondrial function and cardiovascular disease. Drug Discov. Today. 2009;6:e31–e39. doi: 10.1016/j.ddmec.2009.02.001. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Marcovina S.M., Sirtori C., Peracino A., Gheorghiade M., Borum P., Remuzzi G., Ardehali H. Translating the basic knowledge of mitochondrial functions to metabolic therapy: Role of l-carnitine. Transl. Res. 2013;161:73–84. doi: 10.1016/j.trsl.2012.10.006. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
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[1] Alesci S. Carnitine: The science behind a conditionally essential nutrient. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 2004;1033:1–197. - PubMed

[2] Alesci S. Carnitine: The science behind a conditionally essential nutrient. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 2004;1033:1–197. - PubMed

[3] Wolf G. The discovery of a vitamin role for carnitine: The first 50 years. J. Nutr. 2006;136:2131–2134. doi: 10.1093/jn/136.8.2131. - DOI - PubMed

[4] Wolf G. The discovery of a vitamin role for carnitine: The first 50 years. J. Nutr. 2006;136:2131–2134. doi: 10.1093/jn/136.8.2131. - DOI - PubMed

[5] Sharma S., Black S.M. Carnitine homeostasis, mitochondrial function and cardiovascular disease. Drug Discov. Today. 2009;6:e31–e39. doi: 10.1016/j.ddmec.2009.02.001. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[6] Sharma S., Black S.M. Carnitine homeostasis, mitochondrial function and cardiovascular disease. Drug Discov. Today. 2009;6:e31–e39. doi: 10.1016/j.ddmec.2009.02.001. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[7] Marcovina S.M., Sirtori C., Peracino A., Gheorghiade M., Borum P., Remuzzi G., Ardehali H. Translating the basic knowledge of mitochondrial functions to metabolic therapy: Role of l-carnitine. Transl. Res. 2013;161:73–84. doi: 10.1016/j.trsl.2012.10.006. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[8] Marcovina S.M., Sirtori C., Peracino A., Gheorghiade M., Borum P., Remuzzi G., Ardehali H. Translating the basic knowledge of mitochondrial functions to metabolic therapy: Role of l-carnitine. Transl. Res. 2013;161:73–84. doi: 10.1016/j.trsl.2012.10.006. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[9] El-Hattab A.W., Scaglia F. Disorders of carnitine biosynthesis and transport. Mol. Genet. Metab. 2015;116:107–112. doi: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2015.09.004. - DOI - PubMed

[10] El-Hattab A.W., Scaglia F. Disorders of carnitine biosynthesis and transport. Mol. Genet. Metab. 2015;116:107–112. doi: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2015.09.004. - DOI - PubMed

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The Nutraceutical Value of Carnitine and Its Use in Dietary Supplements

Affiliations

The Nutraceutical Value of Carnitine and Its Use in Dietary Supplements

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