Lipoic acid

Chemical properties

Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is synthesised enzymatically in the mitochondria from octanoic acid and plays a critical role in mitochondrial energy metabolism. ALA presents as two enantiomers: the R-(+) enantiomer, which is widely present in nature and is biologically active, and the S-(-) enantiomer, which is often included in synthetic-based ALA supplements but is believed to have limited biological activity.
Formulations includes:
R-alpha lipoic acid capsules, tablets, powders or drops
Racemic mixture of R- and S- alpha lipoic acid enantiomers in capsules, tablets, powders or drops
Intravenous administration of R-alpha lipoic acid

History

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) was discovered in 1951. It is a sulfur-containing coenzyme, and when it was first isolated and studied, its main function was thought to be in the Krebs Cycle.
In 1988, ALA was discovered to be a potent antioxidant, and is active in both fat- and watersoluble regions of the cell.

The Uses of Lipoic acid

α-lipoic acid (ALA, thioctic acid) is an organosulfur component produced from plants, animals, and humans. It has various properties, among them great antioxidant potential and is widely used as a racemic drug for diabetic polyneuropathy-associated pain and paresthesia. It has been used in alternative medicine as a possibly effective aid in weight loss, treating diabetic nerve pain, healing wounds, lowering blood sugar, improving skin discoloration caused by vitiligo, and decreasing complications of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.

Alpha Lipoic Acid 600 mg | 45 Tablets

Definition

ChEBI: Lipoic acid is a heterocyclic thia fatty acid comprising pentanoic acid with a 1,2-dithiolan-3-yl group at the 5-position. It belongs to a vitamin of the vitaminB complex. Lipoic acid is one of thecoenzymes involved in the decarboxylationof pyruvate by the enzymepyruvate dehydrogenase. Goodsources of lipoic acid include liverand yeast.

Biological Functions

Lipoic acid is a cofactor for five enzymes or classes of enzymes: pyruvate dehydrogenase, a-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, the glycine cleavage system, branched chain keto acid dehydrogenase, and the alpha-oxo(keto)adipate dehydrogenase. The first two are critical to the citric acid cycle. The GCS regulates glycine concentrations.

Pharmacology

The drug is a cofactor for the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, ketoglutarate and amino acid hydrogenase complexes. This drug can inhibit lipid oxidation in nerve tissue, prevent glycosylation of proteins, inhibit aldose reductase, and prevent the conversion of glucose or galactose into sorbitol. Animal experiments show that this drug can prevent the development of diabetes, promote the utilization of glucose, and prevent neuropathy caused by hyperglycemia. Lipoic acid is easily reduced to dihydrolipoic acid after entering the human body, both of which can promote the regeneration of vitamin C and vitamin E, and play an antioxidant role. The drug can also increase intracellular glutathione and coenzyme Q10 and chelate certain metal ions.

Side Effects

Alpha-lipoic acid is generally considered safe with little to no side effects. In some cases, people may experience mild symptoms like nausea, rashes, or itching.

Structure and conformation

Lipoic acid contains two sulfur atoms (at C6 and C8) connected by a disulfide bond and is thus considered to be oxidized although either sulfur atom can exist in higher oxidation states.The carbon atom at C6 is chiral and the molecule exists as two enantiomers (R)-(+)-lipoic acid (RLA) and (S)-(-)-lipoic acid (SLA) and as a racemic mixture (R/S)-lipoic acid (R/S-LA).