Acylcarnitine C16 Unit Converter

Acylcarnitine C16, also known as palmitoylcarnitine, is a long-chain acylcarnitine formed when the 16-carbon fatty acid palmitic acid is attached to carnitine. It is a key intermediate in the transport of long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria, where they are broken down to produce energy.

The inner mitochondrial membrane cannot be crossed by long-chain fatty acids directly. Instead, palmitic acid is first converted to palmitoyl-CoA, then transferred to carnitine to form palmitoylcarnitine. This molecule is shuttled across the membrane by specialized transport enzymes known as carnitine palmitoyltransferases (CPT I and CPT II) and carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase (CACT).

Measuring C16 levels helps evaluate how well the body is processing long-chain fats for energy. Abnormal levels may indicate inherited disorders of fatty acid oxidation.

Palmitoylcarnitine is produced in cells throughout the body, primarily in the liver, heart, and skeletal muscle, when palmitic acid from dietary fat or stored body fat is conjugated with carnitine by the enzyme carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT I) on the outer mitochondrial membrane.