CoQ10
Below please find detailed information that clearly defines the biochemical role of Coenzyme Q10 and shares accurate research in order to correct the misleading information currently being circulated. These misleading statements include: 1. The reduced form of Coenzyme Q10, called Ubiquinol, is the “active” form of Coenzyme Q10. 2. Ubiquinol is biologically more important than the conventional Coenzyme Q10, called Ubiquinone. 3. Ubiquinol is water-soluble. 4. Coenzyme Q10 is an “essential nutrient”. 5. Ubiquinol is Coenzyme Q10. The above five statements represent serious inaccurate information that can in-turn be very dangerous for our industry overall. The information provided in this news alert will clearly explain that: - Ubiquinol is not Coenzyme Q10, but only a part of Coenzyme Q10. - Ubiquinol is not the “active” form of Coenzyme Q10 and it is not Coenzyme Q10.
- Even though the term “nutrient” has become synonymous for a dietary component and some within the industry do refer to Coenzyme Q10 as a “nutrient”, the scientific community does not classify Coenzyme Q10 as a “nutrient” and certainly never refers to it as an “essential nutrient” because the body produces Coenzyme Q10 on its own. - Ingestion of ubiquinol does not eliminate any steps in the production of energy in the body. - Ubiquinol is not water-soluble. U R G E N T N E W S A L E R T February 15, 2007 - Any misconception that digesting ubiquinol allows for a shorter passage way for the production of energy is misleading and in fact without ubiquinone the energy cycle would not occur. - Ubiquinol without ubiquinone would actually starve the body of any energy production. However, there is no reason to believe that the ingestion of ubiquinol is unsafe and may even be a very good additional antioxidant when ingested. - Ubiquinol must be converted back to ubiquinone in order for it to accept electron transfer, which then can be used in the production of energy. Therefore, this is actually creating an additional step in order to achieve the production of energy. Points 1 and 2: Ubiquinol (QH) is not the “active” form and is not more important: In becoming aware of this potential damaging information, we called it to the attention of the supplier of the product Kaneka QHTM. We wish to share with you their response in part (shortened slightly for brevity), including a statement from Dr.Robert J. Barry, of Kaneka Research and Development. This was sent directly to Rand Skolnick, CEO and President of Solgar on February 6, 2007. “Recently a number of companies have published advertisements and related articles promoting - the reduced (ubiquinol) form of CoQ10 - in contrast to the well known oxidized (ubiquinone) form of CoQ10 that is currently predominant in the market place. The stable, reduced form of CoQ10 (QH) has been made available through Kaneka Corporation under the trademark Kaneka QHTM and may be found on the shelf under a number of the leading brand names. In many of the recent advertisements/articles statements are made promoting the new reduced form of CoQ10 (ubiquinol) as the ‘active form’ and the familiar oxidized form of CoQ10 (ubiquinone) as the ‘inactive form’ which necessarily has raised questions about both of these important nutrients. All forms of CoQ10 are redox active and play very important metabolic roles in conversion from one form to another just as other cellular carriers of neutralizing agents (Hydrogen atoms or electrons) that are of biological importance such as the oxidized and reduced forms of vitamin E and vitamin C. ‘Redox’ is an abbreviation for reduction - oxidation reactions which are reversible reactions in biological systems. It is implied when we refer to CoQ10 as an electron carrier in mitochondria generated cellular respiration that CoQ10 can accept and release electrons. Formally there are three active forms of CoQ10 of metabolic interest - CoQ ubiquinone - CoQH ubisemiquinone - CoQH2 ubiquinol. They are all metabolically active. CoQH is both an active acceptor and ‘antioxidant’ as it can donate its lone H to reduce (antioxidize) and accept another H to form CoQH2. Guess which form predominates in the mitochondria during active cellular respiration. The point is that they are all active, important nutrients - CoQ10 has an important function & CoQ10H and CoQ10H2 have important metabolic functions. Current study indicates that they are of specific importance in targeted areas. Recent advertisements/articles, although fairly well balanced,imply (to the consumer) that CoQH2 (ubiquinol) is the only active form. This may be somewhat misleading - almost disqualifying the importance of CoQ10 (ubiquinone) - despite nearly 30 years of research and clinical evaluation demonstrating considerable health benefit. Robert J. Barry, Ph.D. Scientific Affairs Research & New Product Development Kaneka Nutrients L.P.” For those wishing to review the biochemistry of coenzyme Q-10, please refer to the interviews of Dr. Richard Passwater with the discoverer of coenzyme Q-10, Dr. Fred Crane. Dr. Crane explains what coenzyme Q-10 is, its function in the body and how coenzyme Q-10 achieves this function. The articles are on the internet at http://www.drpasswater.com/nutrition_library/Crane_1.html and http://www.drpasswater.com/nutrition_library/Crane_2.html Basically, the unique role of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), also called ubiquinone or Q, is that of a coenzyme in the respiratory electron transport system (energy transport system or respiratory chain or oxidative phosphorylation). This is the process that converts food and oxygen into carbon dioxide, water and energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Coenzyme Q10 is specifically called ubiquinone, which is precisely 2,3-dimethoxy, 5-methyl, 6-polyisoprene parabenzoquinone. CoQ10 has no other agreed upon unique role in the body. (The fact that CoQ10 happens to also be a minor general antioxidant, as are thousands of other compounds, is irrelevant to its unique role as an electron and proton transporter in the electron transport system via redox cycling.) The role of CoQ10 in the respiratory electron transport system is to pump protons out of the mitochondrial matrix to create an electrical and pH gradient. This gradient is essential for the formation of ATP. CoQ10 (ubiquinone) is the only molecule that can accept electrons (e-) from the isolated NADH dehydrogenase complex (complex I) by NADH and also succinate dehydrogenase complex (complex II) by succinate. Ubiquinol (also called hydroquinone or QH2) cannot do this as it cannot accept additional electrons and protons as its two carbonyl groups (C=O) on its quinone ring have already been reduced to hydroxyl groups (-OH). Since the first step is for CoQ10 (ubiquinone) to accept protons and electrons and since ubiquinol cannot do this, it would be more accurate to say that ubiquinone is themore “active” form (that’s why this oxidized form is called Coenzyme Q10). It certainly is false to claim the opposite, that ubiquinol is the more “active.”In the role of accepting these electrons and protons, CoQ10 becomes reduced to first, the partially reduced free radical,semiquinone (QH) by the reduction of one carbonyl group on the quinone ring, and then to fully reduced ubiquinol (QH2) by the reduction of the second carbonyl group. Then, as another critical step in energy transport, ubiquinol is oxidized back to first, semiquinone, and then to CoQ10 again. This takes place in the cytochrome bc1 complex (complex III). All three forms, ubiquinone, semiquinone and ubiquinol are of equal importance and form a redox cycle. Without any of the three members of the redox cycle the cycle would not function and the reaction would consume the non-replaced compounds and energy transport and life would cease. All three members of the cycle have equal “activity” and equal importance. Without the redox cycling, a living system would need many pounds of each member as they would be consumed with each electron and proton transferred. The role of CoQ10 is often described as that of a “bucket brigade” in carrying electrons and protons in the energy transport system instead of water to a fire. Coenzyme Q10, along with each of the complexes, carries electrons and protons along the way, much like little buckets in a mitochondrial bucket brigade. In order for the buckets to pick up an electron or proton, the bucket must first be empty. This is what CoQ10 does. Its two buckets are empty and can receive electrons and protons. Once the buckets are full, the molecule is then reduced and called ubiquinol. Now, the task is to pass the buckets to the next complex. When ubiquinol’s buckets are empty, the compound is now once again oxidized and called ubiquinone. If each bucket couldn’t be filled and emptied repeatedly, buckets could be used only once, and thousands and thousands would be needed to move water to the fire. In addition, please keep in mind, the following: 1. When the body synthesizes CoQ10, it produces ubiquinone, not ubiquinol. 2. When ubiquinone is taken orally, the liver rapidly converts some of it to ubiquinol as needed to maintain a balance of the two forms. 3. The ratio of ubiquinone to ubiquinol remains constant (but different) in plasma and various tissues regardless of which form (Q or QH) is taken orally. Point 3: Ubiquinol (QH) is not water soluble, as stated on the Certificate of Analysis by the supplier. In order for a fat-soluble nutrient to be absorbed into the body, it must first be made water-soluble. To date, the only water-soluble form of CoQ10 is in the form of nanotechnology. Kaneka describes the water-solubility on their spec sheet for ubiquinol as follows: Physico-chemical properties of Ubiquinol (KANEKA QH) Solubility in water: <0.0001 g/ml Practically insoluble or insoluble. U R G E N T N E W S A L E R T Point 4 Coenzyme Q-10 is not a “Nutrient” let alone an “Essential” nutrient Biochemists and nutritionists do not consider CoQ10 or ubiquinol to be nutrients because they can be made within the body. They definitely are not dietarily essential, although many experts consider them to be conditionally essential under certain circumstances. Conclusion It is by no accident that ubiquinone, not ubiquinol was named Coenzyme Q10. CoQ10 has a unique role in energy transport as does ubiquinol. Each is vital and of equal importance, therefore no claim can be made that one form is more “active” than the other. Ubiquinone is the compound that is designated as Coenzyme Q10 and it is involved in the very first and critical step of transferring electrons. To promote that ubiquinol is the “active” form of CoQ10 is not only misleading, it is clearly wrong and is not the view held by the scientific community. This misinformation will damage the thinking of retailers and consumers for years to come.
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