Nourishing and Health Benefits of Coenzyme Q10 – a Review
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Czech J. Food Sci. Vol. 26, No. 4: 229–241 Nourishing and Health Benefits of Coenzyme Q10 – a Review Martina BOREKOVÁ1, Jarmila HOJEROVÁ1, Vasiľ KOPRDA1 and Katarína BAUEROVÁ2 1Institute of Biotechnology and Food Science, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Bratislava, Slovak Republic; 2Institute of Experimental Pharmacology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic Abstract Boreková M., Hojerová J., Koprda V., Bauerová K. (2008): Nourishing and health benefits of coen- zyme Q10 – a review. Czech J. Food Sci., 26: 229–241. Coenzyme Q10 is an important mitochondrial redox component and endogenously produced lipid-soluble antioxidant of the human organism. It plays a crucial role in the generation of cellular energy, enhances the immune system, and acts as a free radical scavenger. Ageing, poor eating habits, stress, and infection – they all affect the organism’s ability to provide adequate amounts of CoQ10. After the age of about 35, the organism begins to lose the ability to synthesise CoQ10 from food and its deficiency develops. Many researches suggest that using CoQ10 supplements alone or in com- bination with other nutritional supplements may help maintain health of elderly people or treat some of the health problems or diseases. Due to these functions, CoQ10 finds its application in different commercial branches such as food, cosmetic, or pharmaceutical industries. This review article gives a survey of the history, chemical and physical properties, biochemistry and antioxidant activity of CoQ10 in the human organism. It discusses levels of CoQ10 in the organisms of healthy people, stressed people, and patients with various diseases. This paper shows the distribution and contents of two ubiquinones in foods, especially in several kinds of grapes, the benefits of CoQ10 as nutritional and topical supplements and its therapeutic applications in various diseases. Keywords: coenzyme Q10; ubiquinone; food; grape; wine; nourishing; nutritional supplement; diseases; health benefits; ageing; skin HISTORY distributed in animal tissues, Morton named it ubiquinone (ubiquitous quinone – everywhere In 1955, Festenstein et al. (1955), the scientists present quinone). Two years later in David Green’s in Morton’s Laboratory in Liverpool (England) Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin (USA), isolated an unsaponifiable lipid with a striking Crane et al. (1957) observed a novel quinone in ultraviolet absorption at 272 nm from the intestinal the lipid extracts of mitochondria and named it mucosa of horses. Because the new substance was coenzyme Q because of its participation in the identified as a quinone and was found to be widely electron transport chain. Supported by the Scientific Grant Agency (VEGA) of the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic and the Slovak Academy of Sciences (Grants No. 1/0438/08, 2/0090/08 and 1/ 0746/08) and by the Slovak Research and Development Agency (Contract No. APVV-51-017905). 229 Vol. 26, No. 4: 229–241 Czech J. Food Sci. One year later, the chemical structure of coen- O zyme Q (CoQ ) was reported by Wolf (Olson CH3O CH3 10 10 CH 2001), under Dr. Folkers at Merck Laboratories. 3 CH O CH CH C CH H Later on the Folkers’ laboratory became a centre 3 2 2 10 for the purification, structural determination and O synthesis of a large number of nourishing factors, Figure 1. Chemical structure of coenzyme Q (2, 3- besides CoQ10, for example, also vitamin B6, pan- 10 dimethoxy-5-methyl-6-ten-isoprene parabenzoquinone) tothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, and mevalonic acid (Olson 2001). In 1963, Professor Yamamura from Japan was is not very stable and deteriorates at temperatures the first to use coenzyme Q7 in the treatment of a of about 46°C (US Patent 2005). It is a biologically human disease: congestive heart failure. Mellors active quinone; it comprises a benzoquinone ring and Tappel (1966a, b) showed that reduced CoQ6 with an isoprenoid side chain, related in structure was an effective antioxidant. In 1972 Littarru along to vitamin K and vitamin E. with Folkers documented a deficiency of CoQ10 in CoQ10 is the most prevalent form in humans and human heart disease (Littarru et al. 1972). most mammals. It has been found also in other Ernster (1977) from Sweden enlarged upon animals, microorganisms, and plants. CoQ9 is the the importance of CoQ10 as an antioxidant and primary form found in rats and mice (Ramasar- free radical scavenger. Peter D. Mitchell, a Brit- ma 1985). Coenzymes Q6, Q7, and Q8 (6, 7 or 8 iso- ish biochemist, received the Nobel Prize in 1978 prenoid units, respectively), are found in yeasts for his contribution to the understanding of the and bacteria (Overvad et al. 1999). biological energy transfer through the formulation The main chemical characteristic of CoQ10, re- of the chemiosmotic theory, which includes the sponsible for its various functions, is its existence ; vital protonmotive role of CoQ10 in the energy in three alternate redox states (Battino et al. 1990 transfer systems (Mitchell 1961, 1966). Ernster & Dallner 1995; James et al. 2004): In the early 1980’s, there was a considerable (1) The fully oxidisedubiquinone form which, upon acceleration in the number and size of clinical two sequential additions of hydrogen atoms, trials. Folkers received the Priestly Medal from converts first into a partially reduced; the American Chemical Society in 1986 and the (2) Semiquinone – free radical form; National Medal of Science from President Bush (3) The fully reduced ubiquinol form (Figure 2). in 1990 for his work with CoQ10 and other nutri- CoQ10 can exist in either the cis or the trans ents (Olson 2001). CoQ10 has become a science forms. Only the trans form is found in nature. subject of many researches. However, both forms can be produced in a mix- ture by means of biofermentation or a chemical - 18 - process (US Patent 2003). Chemical and physical properties of CoQ10 Ubiquinone, chemically 2,3-dimethoxy-5-me- Biochemistry in the human organism thyl-6-polyisoprene parabenzoquinone (Figure 1), is in its natural form an orange lipophile pow- In cells, CoQ10 is located in the middle of the der, without odour and taste. Because CoQ10 has phospholipids bilayer of various membranes; 10 isoprenoid units – its name is coenzyme Q10. however, the relative amount varies in different Molecular weight of CoQ10 is 863.34 g/mol. CoQ10 organelles. CoQ10 is found in the membranes of O O OH + H CO H3CO CH H3CO CH H 3 CH3 3 + 3 H - H - H H H CH H H3CO CH2 H3CO CH2 H3CO 2 OH OH CH O CH3 CH3 3 Ubiquinone Semiquinone radical Ubiquinol Ubiquinone Semiquinone radical Ubiquinol Figure 2. Three redox states of coenzyme Q10 Figure 2. Three redox states of coenzyme Q10 230 Czech J. Food Sci. Vol. 26, No. 4: 229–241 endoplasmatic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, pe- of animals, plastoquinone in the chloroplasts of roxisomes, lysosomes, vesicles and notably the plants, and menaquinone in bacteria (Littarru inner membrane of the mitochondrion in every 1994; Crane 2001). cell in the human body (Crane et al. 1984). It is found in relatively higher concentrations in cells Antioxidant activity with high energy requirements, such as those of the heart, liver, muscles and pancreas. CoQ10 is only endogenously synthesised lipid The biosynthesis of CoQ10 from the amino acid soluble antioxidant, present in all membranes and tyrosine is a 17-step process (Figure 3) requiring surpassing both in the amount and efficiency other at least eight vitamins (riboflavin, pyridoxine, antioxidants. The protective effect is extended niacinamide, ascorbic acid, cobalamin, folic acid, to lipids proteins and DNA mainly because of its tocopherol, and pantothenic acid) and several trace close localisation to the oxidative events and the elements (Hojerová 2000; Crane 2001). effective regeneration by continuous reduction at Because of this biosynthesis complexity, defects all locations (Bentinger et al. 2007). in some human enzymes or regulatory proteins CoQ10 in its reduced form as a hydroquinone may cause CoQ10 deficiency in infantile and adult (ubiquinol) (Figure 2) is a potent lipophilic anti- organisms (Quinzii et al. 2007). oxidant that has a great importance as a free radi- CoQ10 is the cofactor for at least three mito- cal scavenger. CoQ10 protects the stability of the chondrial enzymes (complexes I, II and III) as well cell membranes, protects DNA from free radical as enzymes in other parts of the cell (Ernster & induced oxidative damage, and is capable of re- Dallner 1995; James et al. 2004). cycling and regenerating other antioxidants, such Mitochondrial enzymes of the oxidative- 19phospho - - as tocopherol and ascorbate (Crane 2001). Other rylation pathway are essential for the production of important functions of CoQ10 as e.g. cell signal- the high-energy phosphate, adenosine triphosphate ling and gene expression have also been described (ATP), upon which all cellular functions depend. (Bhagavan & Chopra 2006). The electron and proton transfer functions of A direct demonstration of the effectiveness of the quinone ring are of fundamental importance coenzyme Q as an antioxidant can be shown with to all life forms; ubiquinone in the mitochondria coenzyme Q deficient yeast. A yeast mutant defi- Acetyl-CoA Acetoacetyl-CoA HMG-CoA Mevalonate Tyrosine (Phenylalanine) Mevalonate-P 4OH-Phenylpyruvate Mevalonate-PP 4OH-Phenyllactate Isopentenyl-PP 4OH-Cinnamate transtrans Geranyl-PP PrenylPhenyl- transferasetransfesase 4OH-Benzoate Decaprenyl-PP Farnesyl-PP Decaprenyl- Squalene synthetase 4OH-benzoate transferase Squalene Decaprenyl- 4OH-benzoate Cholesterol Figure 3. Biosynthesis of ubiquinone Ubiquinone from tyrosine Figure 3. Biosynthesis of ubiquinone from tyrosine 231 Vol. 26, No. 4: 229–241 Czech J. Food Sci. cient in coenzyme Q synthesis shows more lipid ease of the sample collection. There are several peroxide formation than normal yeast (Poon et excellent methods based on HPLC for the analysis al. 1997). Another direct demonstration of the of CoQ10 in plasma or serum (Lang & Parcker elimination of free radicals is shown by coenzyme Q 1987; Grossi et al.