Ubiquinol

• 2 - [( 2E, 6E, 10E, 14E, 18E, 22E, 26E, ​​30E, 34E ) -3,7,11,15,19,23,27,31,35,39-Decamethyltetraconta-2,6,10,14,18,22,26,30,34,38-decaenyl]-5,6-dimethoxy-3-methylcyclohexa-2,5-dien-1,4-diol (IUPAC / IUBMB )
• Reduced coenzyme Q-10
• Activated coenzyme Q10
• Dihydroquinone

White powder

Fixed

47 ° C.

Template: Infobox chemical / molecular formula search available

Ubiquinol ( eng. ubiquinol, also Ubihydrochinon or short QH2 ) is an electron-rich (reduced ) form of coenzyme Q10. Natural Ubichinolform of coenzyme Q10 is 2,3-dimethoxy -5-methyl -6- polyprenyl -1 ,4- benzochinol, wherein the side chain polyprenylierte 9-10 units, and in humans in mammals is 10 units long. Coenzyme Q10 ( CoQ10) exists in three redox states, fully oxidized ( ubiquinone -10), partially reduced ( semiquinone or Ubisemichinon ), and fully reduced ( ubiquinol ). The Redoxfunktionen of ubiquinol in cellular energy production and antioxidant protection are based on the ability of two electrons in a redox cycle between ubiquinol ( reduced) and the ( oxidized ) form ubiquinone exchange.

Occurrence

Ubiquinol is a fat soluble Benzochinol that is found in all cell systems, and in virtually any cell, tissue and organ in mammals. Ubiquinol is supplied to the body by biosynthesis, dietary supplements and, in small amounts, also through food. Ubiquinol plays an important role as a key component of the electron transport chain, through which the electrons are provided for the ATP synthase. In mammals, the ATP production takes place mainly in the mitochondria and - to a lesser extent - in other organelles such as the Golgi apparatus or the endoplasmic reticulum instead. Usually, the mitochondria produce almost 95% of the time required for cell growth and development, and a healthy cell metabolism energy. The antioxidant activity of ubiquinol is now considered as one of the most important functions in cell systems. Ubiquinol is a potent lipophilic antioxidant which is able to regenerate vitamin E or other antioxidants such as vitamin C,. Recent studies also reveal the role of ubiquinol in gene expression that comes to fruition in the communication, metabolism and transport of human cells.

Ubiquinol in food

In food, there are different amounts of ubiquinol. The evaluation of a wide range of food products showed that ubiquinol occurred in 63 of 70 different products and accounted for 46 % of the total coenzyme Q10 receiving the Japanese diet.

Properties

Ubiquinol is a Benzochinol and a reduced form of ubiquinone, which is also called coenzyme Q10.

Reducing ubiquinone to ubiquinole takes place in the complexes I and II of the electron transfer chain. The Q cycle is a process that takes place with the aid of cytochrome c, a component of the complex III of the electron transport chain, and which converts ubiquinol in a cyclic process in ubiquinone. If ubiquinol binds to cytochrome c, the pKa of the phenolic group decreases, so that the proton is ionized and the phenoxide anion is formed.

If the Phenoxidsauerstoff is oxidized to the semiquinone, where the unpaired electron is in the ring forms.

Bioavailability

It is well known that coenzyme Q10 is not well absorbed by the body, as has been shown in many peer-reviewed scientific journals. Ubiquinol as its shape has two additional hydrogen atoms, this leads to the conversion of two ketone groups to hydroxy groups on the active portion of the molecule. This results in an increased polarity of the Coenzyme Q10 molecule to sequence and could be a significant factor in the observed increased bioavailability of ubiquinole. Taken orally, ubiquinol exhibits a greater bioavailability than ubiquinone: 150 mg per day in a softgel capsule resulted within 4 weeks to minimum blood levels of 3.84 ug / g

Function

The primary function of ubiquinol is its participation in the synthesis of cellular energy. Ubiquinol can be found in concentrated form in the mitochondrial inner membrane where it III of the mitochondrial electron transfer chain is used as the carrier of two reducing equivalents per mol of the complexes I and II in the direction of the complex. In this process, ubiquinol is the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the main source of energy in living organisms.

In addition, ubiquinol acts as an acceptor of electrons in the oxidation of toxic hydrogen sulfide by sulfide: ubiquinone oxidoreductase. These electrons are used in the production of ATP.

Studies

Antioxidant Effect and aging

Ubiquinol is a highly potent, lipid soluble antioxidant which is capable of, inter alia, regenerate α -tocopherol. Its importance is underlined by the fact that it is the only fat-soluble antioxidant that is synthesized in the body. Scientists who specifically deal Q10 with coenzyme have, the relationship between suboptimal conditions that are characterized by high oxidative stress, and the corresponding values ​​of ubiquinone and ubiquinol examined in the body - together represent both a value of the total coenzyme is called Q10. Interference caused by increased oxidative stress, may affect the ubiquinol and Ubichinonwerte in the body dramatically, a factor that express the scientists as the ratio of ubiquinol to ubiquinone ( ubiquinol: ubiquinone ). Another form of representation is the ubiquinol - ratio, ie, the percentage of ubiquinol in the total amount of coenzyme Q10. A significant change were found, for example in the Coenzyme Q10 profile of diabetes II patients. Specifically, a decrease in plasma ubiquinol ratio was found, suggesting an increase in oxidative stress. Another study showed the decrease of ubiquinol increased under conditions of oxidative stress. Patients suffering from hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatoma, all showed a decrease in their ubiquinol concentrations, while the values ​​of the total coenzyme Q10 ( ubiquinol ubiquinone ) did not decrease. New results suggest that reduced Ubichinolwerte could be related to the aging process. Older people have not only reduced coenzyme Q10 biosynthesis, but also a reduced ability to convert ubiquinone to ubiquinol.

Neural Health

A number of smaller studies have shown that coenzyme Q10 has a positive effect on the neurological system. A study in 2002 examined the effect of coenzyme Q10 ( ubiquinone ) in patients with early Parkinson 's disease. The scientists of this multi-center phase II study found that ubiquinone reduced the loss of function in Parkinson's disease. Given these encouraging results, a much larger multi-center phase III study was subsequently launched. Another study examined the protective effect of ubiquinone and ubiquinol in rats, MPTP (1 -methyl-4 -phenyl-1 ,2,3,6 - tetrahydropyridine ) was administered, a neurotoxin that causes changes that are similar to those that occur in idiopathic Parkinson 's disease. MPTP acts selectively toxic to the cells of the substantia nigra, specialized cells in the brain stem that play a role in motor control and the dopamine neurotransmitter synthesis. Although both forms offered protection against MPTP - induced toxicity, ubiquinol elicited a stronger effect.

Health of the kidneys

Scientists at the University of Tokyo have investigated the role of antioxidants in chronic kidney disease. As a preliminary study, an animal model of chronic kidney disease has been developed. Three experimental groups were defined: a control group, a group with high salty food and a group with high salty food plus ubiquinol. Compared to the control group increased the high salt-containing food oxidative stress ( as measured by the production of superoxide anion in the kidney tissue ), increased blood pressure and evoked albuminuria. In contrast, the group showed the high salt food and ubiquinol supplementation results, which indicated a significant protective function for the kidney by ubiquinol, including decreased production of superoxide anion ( antioxidant effect ), decreased urine albumin and a decrease in high blood pressure.

Inflammation and gene expression

There have been initiated to test the effect of coenzyme Q10 on gene expression, several studies. Thus, the computational analysis of hundreds of genes has shown that coenzyme Q10 acts on 17 different genes, which are connected in their function by 4 different cellular communication paths: G -protein coupled receptors, the JAK -STAT pathway, integrin beta -arrestin. The researchers of this study then undertook detailed investigations with the ubiquinol form. An in vitro study in a human monocytic cell line (THP -1), the inflammation stimulating lipopolysaccharide (LPS ) was exposed, showed that ubiquinol blocked the release of pro-inflammatory substances. The scientists found that ubiquinol a stronger effect on these inflammatory triggers had as ubiquinone.

Further research reports

One study examined the relationship between ubiquinol and blood lipids in patients with coronary heart disease. The researchers tried to find out whether it (ie the narrowing of blood vessels ) is a relationship between the degree of stenosis and the concentrations of ubiquinol and blood fats. Coenzyme Q10 is examined with respect to serum lipids, because it is almost entirely found in the lipoproteins in the blood ( particularly in the low density lipoprotein LDL -C). In turn lipoproteins are carriers of fat-soluble cholesterol in the bloodstream (cholesterol is not released before ), so therefore the correlation between coenzyme Q10, cholesterol and lipoproteins. The study participants were, in contrast to other studies with dietary supplement but not ubiquinol and not taking statins. To determine the degree of stenosis, subjects angiography of the coronary arteries were subjected. 20 out of 36 subjects were classified as negative ( less than 50% stenosis), 16 subjects were classified as positive (more than 70 % stenosis). The results showed that the ratio of ubiquinol was significantly higher blood fat in the low - stenosis group; In contrast, the high - stenosis group had significantly low levels of ubiquinol / lipid ratio. The scientists emphasized that the ubiquinol / blood fat ratio appears to be a significant factor for determining progressive atherosclerotic changes. Even if it was not here for an intervention study, the relationship between the ubiquinol / lipid ratios and the degree of stenosis appeared evident.