Acylcarnitine C8 Unit Converter

Acylcarnitine C8, also known as octanoylcarnitine, is a medium-chain acylcarnitine formed when the eight-carbon fatty acid octanoate 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. C8 represents a snapshot of this process at the eight-carbon stage. When this pathway is working normally, C8 levels in the blood remain low because the fatty acid is efficiently processed.

C8 is the single most important marker for medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency, the most common inherited fatty acid oxidation disorder. It is measured as part of an acylcarnitine profile, typically alongside other medium-chain species such as C6 (hexanoylcarnitine) and C10 (decanoylcarnitine).

C8 is produced in the mitochondria of cells throughout the body, primarily in the liver, skeletal muscle, and heart, as an intermediate of medium-chain fatty acid beta-oxidation.