l-Carnosine Educational Handout
What is it?
l-Carnosine (beta-alanyl-L-histidine) occurs naturally in the body's muscle and nervous tissues and is formed by the amino acids alanine and histidine. Levels of this dipeptide can decline with age. The primary context of support for l-carnosine involves cellular longevity support.*
Uses of Carnosine:
- Antioxidant support: It is a water-soluble antioxidant with well-documented free-radical scavenging activity and is believed to promote cell health and cell longevity. In vitro experiments show carnosine to be a potent scavenger of peroxyl and hydroxyl radicals. Carnosine may also help to maintain superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. SOD is an important antioxidant enzyme.*
- Cellular support: In vitro, it helps to protect proteins from the formation of advanced glycosylation end-products. These end-products are formed when aldehydes (such as aldose and ketose sugars) and lipid peroxidation by-products bind to vital proteins and compromise their function. l-Carnosine also plays a role in protecting DNA from the effects of acetaldehyde and formaldehyde.*
- Nervous system support: l-Carnosine may help to maintain healthy peptide metabolism in the brain, supporting neuronal cell health.*
- Cardiovascular support: Its membrane-stabilizing properties maintain healthy lactate dehydrogenase activity of cardiovascular cells, providing a protective effect.*
- Muscular Support: The concentration of l-carnosine in muscle may prove to be an important factor in high-intensity exercise performance based on a recent human study.*
- Liver Support: A preliminary animal study shows carnosine has the potential to support healthy liver functions.*
Dietary sources:
l-Carnosine can be found in meat, poultry and fish as well as in supplement form.
How much is usually taken?
Pure Encapsulations recommends between 500-1500 mg daily to support optimal levels of this important dipeptide.
Are there any side effects or precautions?
There does not appear to be any side effects.
Potential drug interactions:
In animal studies, carnosine has been shown to inhibit intestinal uptake of several antibiotics. This has not been shown in humans, but it might be wise for those taking antibiotics to make sure they don't take carnosine at the same time.
References:
1.) Yeargans GS, Seidler NW. Carnosine promotes the heat denaturation of glycated protein. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2003 Jan 3;300(1):75-80.
2.) Aldini G, Carini M, Beretta G, Bradamante S, Facino RM. Carnosine is a quencher of 4-hydroxy-nonenal: through what mechanism of reaction? Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2002 Nov 15;298(5):699-706.
3.) Pubill D, Verdaguer E, Sureda FX, Camins A, Pallas M, Camarasa J, Escubedo E. Carnosine prevents methamphetamine-induced gliosis but not dopamine terminal loss in rats. Eur J Pharmacol 2002 Jul 19;448(2-3):165-8.
4.) Niijima A, Okui T, Matsumura Y, Yamano T, Tsuruoka N, Kiso Y, Nagai K. Effects of L-carnosine on renal sympathetic nerve activity and DOCA-salt hypertension in rats. Auton Neurosci 2002 May 31;97(2):99-102.
5.) Kang JH, Kim KS, Choi SY, Kwon HY, Won MH, Kang TC. Carnosine and related dipeptides protect human ceruloplasmin against peroxyl radical-mediated modification. Mol Cells 2002 Jun 30;13(3):498-502.
6.) Hipkiss AR, Preston JE, Himsworth DT, Worthington VC, Keown M, Michaelis J, Lawrence J, Mateen A, Allende L, Eagles PA, Abbott NJ. Pluripotent protective effects of carnosine, a naturally occurring dipeptide. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1998 Nov 20;854:37-53.
7.) Hipkiss AR, Chana H. Carnosine protects proteins against methylglyoxal-mediated modifications. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1998 Jul 9;248(1):28-32.
8.) Prokop'eva VD, Laptev BI, Afanas'ev SA. The protective effect of carnosine in hypoxia and reoxygenation of the isolated rat heart. Biokhimiia 1992 Sep;57(9):1389-92.
9.) Preston JE, Hipkiss AR, Himsworth DT, Romero IA, Abbott JN. Toxic effects of beta-amyloid(25-35) on immortalised rat brain endothelial cell: protection by carnosine, homocarnosine and beta-alanine. Neurosci Lett 1998 Feb 13;242(2):105-8.
10.) Hipkiss AR, Brownson C. Carnosine reacts with protein carbonyl groups: another possible role for the anti-ageing peptide? Biogerontology 2000;1(3):217-23.
11.) McFarland GA, Holliday R. Further evidence for the rejuvenating effects of the dipeptide L-carnosine on cultured human diploid fibroblasts. Exp Gerontol 1999 Jan;34(1):35-45.
12.) Hipkiss AR, Michaelis J, Syrris P. Non-enzymatic glycosylation of the dipeptide L-carnosine, a potential anti-protein-cross-linking agent. FEBS Lett 1995 Aug 28;371(1):81-5.
13.) Ukeda H, Hasegawa Y, Harada Y, Sawamura M. Effect of carnosine and related compounds on the inactivation of human Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase by modification of fructose and glycolaldehyde. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2002 Jan;66(1):36-43.
14.) Kang JH, Kim KS, Choi SY, Kwon HY, Won MH, Kang TC. Protective effects of carnosine, homocarnosine and anserine against peroxyl radical-mediated Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase modification. Biochim Biophys Acta 2002 Mar 15;1570(2):89-96.
15.) Brownson C, Hipkiss AR. Carnosine reacts with a glycated protein. Free Radic Biol Med 2000 May 15;28(10):1564-70.
16.) Hipkiss AR, Brownson C, Carrier MJ. Carnosine, the anti-ageing, anti-oxidant dipeptide, may react with protein carbonyl groups. Mech Ageing Dev 2001 Sep 15;122(13):1431-45.
17.) Kang JH, Kim KS, Choi SY, Kwon HY, Won MH, Kang TC. Carnosine and related dipeptides protect human ceruloplasmin against peroxyl radical-mediated modification. Mol Cells 2002 Jun 30;13(3):498-502.
18.) Suzuki Y, Ito O, Mukai N, Takahashi H, Takamatsu K. High Level of Skeletal Muscle Carnosine Contributes to the Latter Half of Exercise Performance during 30-s Maximal Cycle Ergometer Sprinting. Jpn J Physiol 2002 Apr;52(2):199-205.
19.) Bharadwaj LA, Davies GF, Xavier IJ, Ovsenek N. l-carnosine and verapamil inhibit hypoxia-induced expression of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF-1 alpha) in H9c2 cardiomyoblasts. Pharmacol Res 2002 Mar;45(3):175-181.
20.) Tabakman R, Lazarovici P, Kohen R. Neuroprotective effects of carnosine and homocarnosine on pheochromocytoma PC12 cells exposed to ischemia. J Neurosci Res 2002 May 15;68(4):463-9.
21.) Hipkiss AR, Brownson C, Bertani MF, Ruiz E, Ferro A. Reaction of carnosine with aged proteins: another protective process? Ann N Y Acad Sci 2002 Apr;959:285-94.
22.) Soliman KM, Abdel Aziz M, Nassar YH, Abdel-Sattar S, El-Ansary A. Effects of carnosine on bilharzial infestation in hamsters: biochemical and histochemical studies. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2002 Mar;131(3):535-42.
23.) Poschet JF, Hammond SM, Fairclough PD. Characterisation of penicillin-G uptake in rabbit small-intestinal brush-border membrane vesicles. Biochim Biophys Acta 1996 Jan 31;1278(2):233-40.
For educational purposes only. Consult your physician for any health problems.
*This is a statement of nutritional support. This statement has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
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