Application

Propionyl-L-carnitine may be used as an analytical reference standard for the quantification of the analyte in biological samples using chromatography-based techniques. It may also be used as an analytical standard in monitoring the analyte in chemical synthesis procedures and pharmaceutical formulations using a stereospecific enzyme assay and high-performance liquid chromatography technique with UV detection.

General description

Propionyl-L-carnitine (PLC), a natural odd-carbon-number, endogenous ester of L-carnitine, is found to be present in humans and animals as a minor component compared to L-carnitine (LC) and acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC). It acts as a carrier of long chain acyl groups from activated fatty acids across the inner mitochondrial membrane into the mitochondrial matrix where they undergo β-oxidation to acetyl CoA to obtain usable energy via the citric acid cycle.