The Nutraceutical Value of Carnitine and Its Use in Dietary Supplements

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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.

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Role of carnitine in disease

Judith L Flanagan, Peter Simmons, Joseph Vehige … (2010)

Carnitine is a conditionally essential nutrient that plays a vital role in energy production and fatty acid metabolism. Vegetarians possess a greater bioavailability than meat eaters. Distinct deficiencies arise either from genetic mutation of carnitine transporters or in association with other disorders such as liver or kidney disease. Carnitine deficiency occurs in aberrations of carnitine regulation in disorders such as diabetes, sepsis, cardiomyopathy, malnutrition, cirrhosis, endocrine disorders and with aging. Nutritional supplementation of L-carnitine, the biologically active form of carnitine, is ameliorative for uremic patients, and can improve nerve conduction, neuropathic pain and immune function in diabetes patients while it is life-saving for patients suffering primary carnitine deficiency. Clinical application of carnitine holds much promise in a range of neural disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, hepatic encephalopathy and other painful neuropathies. Topical application in dry eye offers osmoprotection and modulates immune and inflammatory responses. Carnitine has been recognized as a nutritional supplement in cardiovascular disease and there is increasing evidence that carnitine supplementation may be beneficial in treating obesity, improving glucose intolerance and total energy expenditure.

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Nutraceuticals: opening the debate for a regulatory framework

Antonello Santini, Silvia Miriam Cammarata, Giacomo Capone … (2018)

Currently, nutraceuticals do not have a specific definition distinct from those of other food‐derived categories, such as food supplements, herbal products, pre‐ and probiotics, functional foods, and fortified foods. Many studies have led to an understanding of the potential mechanisms of action of pharmaceutically active components contained in food that may improve health and reduce the risk of pathological conditions while enhancing overall well‐being. Nevertheless, there is a lack of clear information and, often, the claimed health benefits may not be properly substantiated by safety and efficacy information or in vitro and in vivo data, which can induce false expectations and miss the target for a product to be effective, as claimed. An officially shared and accepted definition of nutraceuticals is still missing, as nutraceuticals are mostly referred to as pharma‐foods, a powerful toolbox to be used beyond the diet but before the drugs to prevent and treat pathological conditions, such as in subjects who may not yet be eligible for conventional pharmaceutical therapy. Hence, it is of utmost importance to have a proper and unequivocal definition of nutraceuticals and shared regulations. It also seems wise to assess the safety, mechanism of action and efficacy of nutraceuticals with clinical data. A growing demand exists for nutraceuticals, which seem to reside in the grey area between pharmaceuticals and food. Nonetheless, given specific legislation from different countries, nutraceuticals are experiencing challenges with safety and health claim substantiation.

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Milk thistle (Silybum marianum ): A concise overview on its chemistry, pharmacological, and nutraceutical uses in liver diseases

Ludovico Abenavoli, Angelo Izzo, Nataša Milić … (2018)

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Author and article information

Contributors

Cesare Indiveri: Role: Academic Editor

Lara Console: Role: Academic Editor

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Molecules

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Molecules

Journal ID (publisher-id): molecules

Title: Molecules

Publisher: MDPI

ISSN (Electronic): 1420-3049

Publication date (Electronic): 01 May 2020

Publication date Collection: May 2020

Volume: 25

Issue: 9

Electronic Location Identifier: 2127

Affiliations

[1 ]CREA-Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Rome, Italy; massimo.lucarini@ 123456crea.gov.it

[2 ]Department of Biotechnology, Sari Agriculture Science and Natural Resource University, 9th km of Farah Abad Road, Sari 48181 68984, Mazandaran, Iran; nazhand.ah@ 123456gmail.com

[3 ]Department of Endocrinology of Hospital São João, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal; sbsouto.md@ 123456gmail.com

[4 ]Department of Biology and Environment, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, P-5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal; amsilva@ 123456utad.pt

[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; pattypharma@ 123456gmail.com

[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; souto.eliana@ 123456gmail.com

[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

Author notes

[* ]Correspondence: alessandra.durazzo@ 123456crea.gov.it (A.D.); asantini@ 123456unina.it (A.S.); Tel.: +39-(0)6-514-94-430 (A.D.); +39-(0)81-253-9317 (A.S.)

Author information

Alessandra Durazzo https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7747-9107

Amélia M. Silva https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7524-9914

Patrícia Severino https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6527-6612

Eliana B. Souto https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9737-6017

Antonello Santini https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5505-3327

Article

Publisher ID: molecules-25-02127

DOI: 10.3390/molecules25092127

PMC ID: 7249051

PubMed ID: 32370025

SO-VID: f1c18082-613f-4c1c-bd23-1cceced84415

License:

Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

The Nutraceutical Value of Carnitine and Its Use in Dietary Supplements

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Most cited references 138

Role of carnitine in disease

Nutraceuticals: opening the debate for a regulatory framework

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum ): A concise overview on its chemistry, pharmacological, and nutraceutical uses in liver diseases

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