Introduction
Discovered over a century ago, carnitine is now widely studied and used in various fields; in fact, it is part of the composition of food supplements and medicines suitable for treating conditions of various kinds.
Although we often hear about carnitine and products that contain it, perhaps not everyone knows the functions that this molecule plays inside our cells and the important role it plays in the health of the organism.
With this article we will try, therefore, to provide a general overview of these aspects, highlighting also studies carried out and applications of this molecule.
bovine; while the chemical structure was definitively determined only twenty "years later by M. Tomita and Y. Sendju.
The interest in carnitine however remained contained, until in 1935 E. Strack discovered the existence of a structural and biological analogy between carnitine and acetylcholine, a very important endogenous neurotransmitter.
Despite this revelation, the turning point in the history of this molecule took place only in 1947, when G. Fraenkel documented the need for carnitine in the growth of the beetle larvae Tenebrio molitor (known as "mealworm"). From here, the idea that carnitine could be an essential molecule for life began to make its way. Later, in 1955, I.B. Fritz discovered the ability of carnitine to stimulate the oxidation of fatty acids. In the following years (1955-1975) the mitochondrial enzymes CAT (carnitine-acetyl-transferase) and CPT (carnitine-palmitoyl-transferase) and the mitochondrial carrier of carnitine CT (carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase) were discovered. At the same time, the identification of carnitine and its proteins in different cellular organelles began and, finally, the so-called "carnitine system" and its main functions in intermediate metabolism emerged.
The first carnitine deficiency was identified in 1973; while in 1998 I. Tamai identified what is now known as one of the main transporters of carnitine: the OCTN2 transporter.
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