Acylcarnitine C6 Unit Converter

Acylcarnitine C6, also known as hexanoylcarnitine, is a medium-chain acylcarnitine formed when the six-carbon fatty acid hexanoate binds to carnitine. It is an intermediate product of fatty acid metabolism inside your cells' mitochondria.

During beta-oxidation, fatty acids are broken down two carbons at a time to produce energy. C6 represents a snapshot of this process at the six-carbon stage. When this pathway is working normally, C6 levels in the blood remain low because the fatty acid is efficiently processed.

C6 is measured as part of an acylcarnitine profile, typically alongside other medium-chain species such as C8 (octanoylcarnitine) and C10 (decanoylcarnitine). Abnormal patterns across these markers help identify disorders of fatty acid oxidation.

Hexanoylcarnitine is produced in the mitochondria of cells throughout the body, primarily in the liver, kidneys, heart, and skeletal muscle, as a byproduct of medium-chain fatty acid beta-oxidation. It can also be formed in peroxisomes by the enzyme carnitine octanoyltransferase (CrOT).