(±)-Octanoylcarnitine chloride is a homolog of acetylcarnitine chloride. Acylcarnitines, the acetyl derivatives of carnitine, are important intermediates in lipid metabolism, required for the transport of long-chain fatty acids into mitochondria for β-oxidation and ATP production, and for the removal of excess short-chain and medium-chain fatty acids. (±)-Octanoylcarnitine has been shown to decrease the oxidation rate of the branched-chain 2-oxo acids 4-methyl-2-oxopentanoate and 3-methyl-2-oxobutanoate in isolated rat muscle mitochondria in the presence of carnitine, but octanoyl-L-carnitine increases oxidation of 4-methyl-2-oxopentanoate in the absence of carnitine. In addition, (±)-octanoylcarnitine, along with malate, has been used as a mitochondrial respiration substrate to evaluate the effect of creatine on the respiration rate of isolated rat cardiac fibers exposed to increasing concentrations of ADP.?

References:

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