Research Area: Metabolic Disease
Biological Activity:
L-carnitine(Levocarnitine) is constituent of striated muscle and liver.It is used therapeutically to stimulate gastric and pancreatic secretions and in the treatment of hyperlipoproteinemias.. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is essential to the synthesis of carnitine. Levocarnitine is a carrier molecule in the transport of long chain fatty acids across the inner mitochondrial membrane. Only the L isomer of carnitine (sometimes called vitamin BT) affects lipid metabolism. Levocarnitine is handled by several proteins in different pathways including carnitine transporters, carnitine translocases, carnitine acetyltransferases and carnitine palmitoyltransferases. [1]