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HuagongsheHuagongshe Chemistry Print Report · For research reference only
HRID 27577Generated: October 25, 2026

Acetaldehyde → (-)-Carnitine

https://huagongshe.com/reaction/27577

Reaction equation

Participants

RoleNameHCIDCharge
ReactantAcetaldehydeHCID 177—
ReactantNadhHCID 439153—
Reactant(3-Carboxy-2-oxopropyl)trimethylammonium chlorideHCID 2724491—
SolventAcetic AcidHCID 176—
Product(-)-CarnitineHCID 1091777.5%

Reaction Steps

Carnitine was synthesized as in example 2, except that the NADH regeneration system comprised, in addition to alcohol dehydrogenase, aldehyde dehydrogenase (E.C. 1.2.1.5) which oxidizes the aldehyde (formed by action of alcohol dehydrogenase on ethanol) to acetic acid. Two molecules of NADH were formed from one molecule of ethanol (instead of one in the preceeding example) and the reaction balance was strongly displaced in favour of NADH and acetic acid formation. It was thus no longer necessary to eliminate acetaldehyde as in the preceeding example. The conditions were thus those of example 2, except that 125 units of purified aldehyde dehydrogenase (Boehringer ref. 171.832) were added to the reaction medium and nitrogen bubbling was omitted. After 24 hours, 0.764 g of L-carnitine was formed with a yield of 77.5% with respect to dehydrocarnitine hydrochloride.

Provenance & Evidence

DOI10.6084/m9.figshare.5104873.v1
Patent numberUS04221869
Source datasetuspto-grants-1980_09
ORD IDord-69843a9b4f804ce7a10f54a4d2af355d
Source noteuspto-grants-1980_09