:Carnosine:

Functions:

• Master antioxidant: inactivate reactive oxygen species, scavenge free radicals
• Extends cell life
• Protects proteins and DNA against AGE (Age-related Glycosylation Endproducts) found in diabetes, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer dementia, glaucoma, cataract and skin ageing.
• Chelates prooxidative metals: copper, zinc and heavy metals: lead, mercury, cadmium, nickel
• Stabilises cells making them more resistant to injury
• Boosts immunity
• buffering the effects of lactic acid in the muscles (the pH remains neutral even in heavy physical exercise, such as sport sprints)
• aldehyde-sequestering
• prevention of carbonylation of proteins, i.e., carnosinylation
• functions as a neurotransmitter
• protection of proteasomes

L-Carnosine (kahr´no-sën) is a neuropeptide consisting of alanine and histidine: beta-alanyl-L-histidine. It is made in the human body and found at high levels in brain, innervated tissues, the lens of the eye, and skeletal muscle tissue.

In sports and body building carnosine is involved in the detoxification pathway of reactive aldehydes from lipid peroxidation generated in skeletal muscle during physical endurance (Aldini et al. 2002a,b). Hence carnosine protects the skeletal muscles from injury, increases muscle strength and endurance and speed up recovery after strenuous exercise.

Absorption of carnosine from food is 30 to 70 % (depending on the amount of various amino acids in the meal) and that of pure L-carnosine greater than 70%.


Laboratory studies show carnosine protects cells against oxidative stress, functional exhaustion and aging features. Mechanisms of protection are:

• proton buffering (maintaining pH balance in the muscles in heavy exercise)
• heavy metal chelating (especially copper and zinc)
• free-radical and active sugar molecule scavenging (prevents glycation and carbonylation of proteins)
• preventing the modification of biomacromolecules thereby keeping their native functionality under oxidative stress

Physiological concentrations (20-30 micromoles) in standard media prolong the in-vitro life span of human fibroblast cells and strongly reduce the normal features of senescence (aging). In laboratory studies, carnosine clearly improves external appearance of animals and produces beneficial effects on behavior and average life span.

Carnosine scavenges all reactive oxygen species:

• Free radicals:
  • Hydroxyl radical (OH-)
  • Superoxide radical (O2-)
• Nonradicals:
  • Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)
  • Singlet oxygen (1O2)
• Lipid peroxidation products:
  • Peroxyl radical (ROO-)
  • Alkoxyl radical (RO-)
• Secondary products:
  • Malondialdehyde
  • 4-Hydroxyalkenals

Age-related conditions that carnosine may be useful for include:

• neurological degeneration (Alzheimer, Parkinson, epilepsy depression, schizophrenia, mild cognitive impairment, dementia, glaucoma, migraine and stroke)
• Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Asperger´s syndrome, ADHD, dyslexia
• cellular senescence (aging)
• cross-linking of the crystalline lens of the eye (cataract)
• cross-linking of skin collagen (skin aging)
• formation of advanced glycation end products (AGES)
• accumulation of damaged proteins
• muscle atrophy
• brain circulation deficit (stroke)
• cardiovascular conditions
• diabetes and its complications

Carnosine is a multifunctional dietary supplement with biological roles including:

• universal and versatile antioxidant activity
• supporting muscle vitality
• increasing muscle strength and endurance
• speeding up recovery after sprints
• inhibiting cellular damage caused by alcohol

As early as 1935, carnosine was recognized as a treatment for polyarthritis. Carnosine has the remarkable ability to down-regulate cellular and enzymatic processes when in excess, and up-regulate them when suppressed.

Several recent studies suggest that a combination of zinc and carnosine provide gastric mucosal protection against various irritants and are effective as antiulcerogenic substances (Odashima et al. 2002).

For example, carnosine decreases platelet aggregation in patients with abnormal clotting tendencies ("thins the blood"), and increases platelet aggregation in patients with low clotting indices. Carnosine has protective effects on blood cell membranes, enhancing their survival, and has demonstrated cell membrane- stabilizing effects, offering protection against chemical-induced hemolytic anemia.

Carnosine therapy:	Year:
Polyarthritis	1935
Gastric and duodenal ulcer	1936
Wound healing	1940
Hypertension	1941
Antibiotic	1969
Anti-inflammatory	1971, 1986
Adrenal cortex effect	1976
Sleep apnea	1977
Trauma	1980
Immunologic effects	1986,1989
Seizures	1989
Coronary heart disease	1989
Cataract	1989
Anti-carcinogenic	1989
Prevention of radiation damage	1990
ADHD, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, epilepsy, other neurological & psychiatric	2001

Benefits:

• safe, naturally present in food and in the body
• versatile antioxidant and aldehyde scavenger
• quenches hydroxyl, superoxide and peroxyl radicals
• superior protection of chromosomes from oxygen damage
• suppresses lipid peroxidation
• most effective natural glycation fighter
• inhibits formation of AGEs
• protects proteins from AGE toxicity
• protects proteins from cross-linking
• multifunctional protein and phospholipid protector
• protects against formation of protein carbonyls, the hallmark of protein damage
• inhibits damaged proteins from damaging healthy proteins
• aids recycling of damaged proteins by protecting the proteasomes
• helps preserve normal protein turnover
• extends lifespan 20 % in senescence-accelerated mice
• dramatically improves behavior and appearance of old mice
• dramatic effect in Autistic Spectrum Disorders
• protects brain cells from excitotoxicity
• protects brain proteins and biochemistry
• preserves brain biochemical functions
• safeguards brain chemistry in disorders overproducing free radicals
• rejuvenates senescent human cells in culture
• increases cell life span
• restores youthful appearance and growth patterns to cells approaching senescence
• protects against metal toxicity
• chelates copper and zinc
• naturally protects against copper-zinc toxicity in the brain
• copper-zinc chelators dissolve Alzheimer’s disease plaques
• inhibits cross-linking of amyloid-beta into Alzheimer’s disease plaques