{"id":71409,"date":"2026-05-20T09:18:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T09:18:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medsbase.com\/l-carnitine\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T07:14:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T07:14:09","slug":"l-carnitine","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/medsbase.com\/nl\/l-carnitine\/","title":{"rendered":"L-Carnitine (Levocarnitine)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Quick Answer \u2014 What is L-Carnitine?<\/h3>\n

L-Carnitine<\/strong> (levocarnitine; (3R)-3-hydroxy-4-(trimethylammonio)butanoate) is a small quaternary-ammonium amino-acid derivative \u2014 not a peptide<\/em> \u2014 that functions as the essential carrier molecule for transporting long-chain fatty acids across the mitochondrial inner membrane for \u03b2-oxidation. It is endogenously biosynthesised from L-lysine and L-methionine and is concentrated in skeletal muscle, heart, and liver. L-Carnitine is studied across mitochondrial-function research, fat-oxidation physiology, insulin-sensitivity models, cardiovascular research, neuroprotection (Alzheimer \/ autism in-vitro work), exercise physiology, and sperm-motility research. Supplied in 600 mg and 1200 mg vials as levocarnitine USP-grade zwitterion for laboratory research use only. Stocked in our peptide catalogue alongside NAD\u207a<\/a> as a complementary mitochondrial \/ metabolic research-injectable.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Wat u krijgt bij MedsBase:<\/strong> Research-grade lyophilized compounds \u00b7 HPLC \u226599% purity (COA on request) \u00b7 Discreet temperature-stable packaging \u00b7 Worldwide research-supply courier \u00b7 1,400+ verified klantbeoordelingen<\/a><\/div>\n

\ud83d\udce6 Elke bestelling is gedekt door onze Reshipment Assurance Policy<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 als uw pakket niet binnen 20 werkdagen arriveert, sturen wij het opnieuw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Specificatie<\/th>\nDetail<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
CAS-nummer<\/strong><\/td>\n541-15-1 (L-carnitine inner salt \/ zwitterion)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Type<\/strong><\/td>\nQuaternary-ammonium amino-acid derivative (not a peptide<\/em>); the levo-rotatory (3R) enantiomer is the biologically active form responsible for mitochondrial long-chain fatty-acid transport via the carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT-I \/ CPT-II) system; endogenously biosynthesised from L-lysine and L-methionine; also called levocarnitine (INN) or Vitamin BT<\/sub> in older literature<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Molecuulformule<\/strong><\/td>\nC7<\/sub>H15<\/sub>NEE3<\/sub><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Moleculair gewicht<\/strong><\/td>\n161.20 g\/mol<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
IUPAC Name<\/strong><\/td>\n(3R)-3-Hydroxy-4-(trimethylazaniumyl)butanoate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sequentie<\/strong><\/td>\nn\/a (small-molecule amino-acid derivative \u2014 not a peptide)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Form<\/strong><\/td>\nLyophilized powder, white to off-white (zwitterion \/ inner-salt form)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Zuiverheid<\/strong><\/td>\n\u226599% (HPLC geverifieerd, COA op aanvraag)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Opslag<\/strong><\/td>\nLyophilized: 2\u20138 \u00b0C (refrigerator) for short-term working stock; \u221220 \u00b0C for long-term storage of unopened vials. Reconstituted: 2\u20138 \u00b0C, use within ~30 days. Protect from light. Avoid repeated freeze\u2013thaw cycles of the reconstituted solution. Levocarnitine is hygroscopic \u2014 reseal vials promptly after each withdrawal.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oplosbaarheid<\/strong><\/td>\nVery highly water-soluble (zwitterion at physiological pH). Reconstitutes rapidly in bacteriostatic water or sterile water with gentle swirling. No specialised solvents required. Working solutions can be prepared at concentrations up to ~500 mg\/mL without precipitation.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Onderzoeksgebruik<\/strong><\/td>\nAlleen voor laboratoriumonderzoek. Niet voor humaan of veterinair diagnostisch of therapeutisch gebruik.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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What Is L-Carnitine?<\/h2>\n

L-Carnitine<\/strong> (levocarnitine) is a small, water-soluble, quaternary-ammonium amino-acid derivative with the molecular formula C7<\/sub>H15<\/sub>NEE3<\/sub> and molecular weight 161.20 g\/mol. It is not a peptide<\/em> \u2014 it is a single-residue zwitterionic molecule derived metabolically from the amino acids L-lysine and L-methionine through a multistep biosynthetic pathway distributed across kidney, liver, and brain. Only the (3R) enantiomer (the L-form \/ levo form \/ levocarnitine) is biologically active; the (3S) enantiomer (D-carnitine) is inactive and is now well-documented to interfere with the L-form’s transport, which is why pharmaceutical-grade material is supplied as the enantiomerically pure L-form rather than as racemic DL-carnitine.<\/p>\n

The molecule’s central physiological function is to serve as the obligate carrier<\/strong> for transporting long-chain fatty acids (C12<\/sub>+) across the otherwise-impermeable mitochondrial inner membrane, where they are subsequently broken down by \u03b2-oxidation to acetyl-CoA, the substrate for the citric acid cycle and ATP synthesis. The transport machinery \u2014 carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT-I) on the outer mitochondrial membrane, the carnitine\/acylcarnitine translocase (CACT) across the inner membrane, and carnitine palmitoyltransferase II (CPT-II) on the matrix side \u2014 converts free fatty acids into acylcarnitines, ferries them across the bilayer, and releases them again as acyl-CoAs for oxidation. L-Carnitine is therefore the rate-limiting metabolite for fat oxidation in tissues with high oxidative demand: skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and liver.<\/p>\n

L-Carnitine is also a high-affinity buffer of the cellular acyl-CoA \/ free-CoA ratio. By accepting acyl groups onto its hydroxyl side chain, L-carnitine maintains the intracellular pool of free CoA that other CoA-dependent enzymes (pyruvate dehydrogenase, \u03b1-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, fatty-acid \u03b2-oxidation) require to function. Carnitine deficiency therefore produces effects beyond fat oxidation alone \u2014 propagating into pyruvate handling, TCA-cycle flux, and overall mitochondrial bioenergetic balance.<\/p>\n

L-Carnitine has FDA approval (under the name levocarnitine<\/em>) for human therapeutic use in primary and secondary carnitine deficiency<\/strong> (oral and IV formulations) and is widely used in research contexts that examine mitochondrial bioenergetics, fat oxidation, insulin sensitivity, cardiovascular function, neuroprotection, exercise physiology, and sperm motility. The research-grade L-Carnitine sold here is supplied uitsluitend voor laboratoriumonderzoek<\/strong> and is not intended for human or veterinary administration without appropriate regulatory authorisation.<\/p>\n

Mechanism of Action \u2014 Mitochondrial Long-Chain Fatty-Acid Transport<\/h2>\n

L-Carnitine’s central mechanism is documented across several decades of mitochondrial biochemistry research:<\/p>\n