Determination of Ubidecarenone
Determination of Ubidecarenone
A method based on high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection has been developed to quantify ubidecarenone [coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)] in raw materials and dietary supplements. Single-laboratory validation has been performed on the method to determine repeatability, accuracy, selectivity, limits of detection and quantification (LOQ), ruggedness, and linearity for CoQ10. As CoQ10 can exist as the biologically active reduced form, the application of an oxidizing agent, Ubidecarenone ferric chloride, drives the equilibrium mechanics to the fully oxidized state and allows for exact quantification of total CoQ10 in the sample. This method was found to be fit and linear for the testing of materials containing CoQ10 in the range of ≃50−1000 mg/g. Repeatability precision for Ubidecarenone was between 2.15 and 5.00% relative standard deviation. Observed recovery of CoQ10 was found to be between 93.8 and 100.9%. LOQ was found to be 9 μg/mL. Further, limited studies showed that some adulterants and degraded material could be satisfactorily separated from CoQ10 and identified.
Ubidecarenone, also Ubidecarenone known as coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10, is a biologically active compound similar in chemical structure to vitamins K and E. Part of a family of quinone compounds known as coenzyme Q, CoQ10 is characterized by a quinone ring attached to a repeating series of side chain isoprene units (Figure 1). The number of isoprene units is denoted by the coenzyme-X designation. In the case of CoQ10, there are 10 repeating isoprene units.
CoQ10 is found in numerous cellular structures within the body, including the endoplasmic reticulum, lysosomes, vesicles, and mitochondria. Its remarkable ability to transfer electrons makes it an excellent component in the mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) cascade for energy as well as a general antioxidant. Other purported beneficial effects of Ubidecarenone include the inhibition of lipid peroxidation initiation in plasma membranes (3), inhibition of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation (lower cardiovascular disease; 4), antihypertensive functions (5), migraine headache treatment (6), neurodegenerative disease treatment (Parkinson's disease; 7), and cardiovascular disease treatment (8). No effects of toxicity have been reported for CoQ10.
