Stearoyl-L-carnitine may be used as an analytical reference standard for the quantification of the analyte in biological fluids using chromatography-based techniques.
ChEBI: O-octadecanoyl-L-carnitine is an O-acyl-L-carnitine in which the acyl group is specified as stearoyl (octadecanoyl). It has a role as a human metabolite. It is functionally related to an octadecanoic acid.
Stearoyl-L-carnitine is a naturally occurring compound belonging to the acylcarnitine class of compounds as listed in the human metabolome database (HMBD). These compounds are reported to be used as biomarkers in the diagnosis of carnitine deficiency. It acts as a carrier of long chain acyl groups from activated fatty acids across the inner mitochondrial membrane into the mitochondrial matrix where they undergo β-oxidation to acetyl CoA to obtain usable energy via the citric acid cycle.
Stearoylcarnitine is found in significantly greater amounts in patients with carnitine palmitoyltransferase II deficiency. Carnitine palmitoyltransferase, in conjunction with acyl-CoA synthetase and carnitine/acylcarnitine translocase, provides the mechanism whereby long-chain fatty acids are transferred from the cytosol to the mitochondrial matrix to undergo beta-oxidation.
