Discovery of Coenzyme Q10:
Coenzyme Q10 was first isolated from beef
heart mitochondria by Dr. Frederick Crane of Wisconsin, U.S.A. in 1957. The same year, Professor Morton of England defined a compound obtained
from vitamin A deficient rat liver to be the same as Coenzyme Q10.
Professor Morton introduced the name ubiquinone, meaning the ubiquitous
quinone. (Derived from Ubiquitous that translates to “existing
everywhere”).
In 1958, Professor Karl Folkers and coworkers at Merck, Inc.,
determined the precise chemical structure of Coenzyme Q10; 2,3
dimethoxy-5 methyl-6 decaprenyl benzoquinone, synthesized it. They
were also
the first to produce CQ10 by fermentation. They extracted and isolated mitochondria from ubiquinone
mitochondria and Coenzyme Q10 was born. The number of side chain
isoprenoid units determines the nomenclature and Coenzyme Q10 is found
in mammalian mitochondria whereas CoQ6 is found in bacteria. Coenzyme
Q10 is one part of complex series of reactions that occur within
mitochondria. These reactions are ultimately linked to the generation of
energy within a cell. Coenzyme Q10 chemical structure was determined in
1958.
Interest in Coenzyme Q10 as a potential
treatment for cancer began in 1961. A deficiency of the enzyme was noted
in the blood of cancer patients. Low blood levels of Coenzyme Q10 have
been found in patients with myeloma, lymphoma, and cancers of the
breast, lung, prostate, pancreas, colon, kidney, and head and neck.
In 1964, Coenzyme Q10 demonstrated its
usefulness for the treatment of
congestive heart failure by a Japanese
scientist. Coenzyme Q10 success for heart failure was attributed to its
energizing effect on heart muscles. In 1970, Coenzyme Q10 first demonstrated
its effectiveness as an
anti-oxidant, and became a favorable nutrient for
treating a variety of cardiovascular problems safely and effectively. In
1978, Dr. Peter Mitchell, a British scientist, was awarded Nobel Prize
in chemistry for his study in the role of Coenzyme Q10 in cellular
energy production mechanism.
In the early 1980s, there was a
considerable acceleration in the number and size of clinical trials.
These resulted in part from the availability of pure Coenzyme Q10 in
large quantities from pharmaceutical companies in Japan and from the
capacity to directly measure Coenzyme Q10 in blood and tissue by high
performance liquid chromatography. Lars Ernster of Sweden, enlarged upon
Coenzyme Q10’s importance as an antioxidant and free radical scavenger.
Professor Karl Folkers went on to
receive the Priestly Medal from the American Chemical Society in 1986
and the National Medal of Science from President Bush in 1990 for his
work with Coenzyme Q10 and other vitamins.
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