L-Carnitine tartrate

L-Carnitine tartrate is the tartrate salt of levocarnitine (L-carnitine, CAS 541-15-1), the quaternary ammonium compound that shuttles long-chain fatty acids across the inner mitochondrial membrane so they can enter beta-oxidation. In the salt, two molecules of levocarnitine pair with one molecule of L-(+)-tartaric acid, giving a nominal 68:32 split by weight and a molecular weight of 472.48. Every commercial carnitine tartrate on the market is this L-tartrate; Thovek lists it separately from the sports-grade LCLT entry only because buyers search for it under both names. The reason the industry works with the tartrate rather than the free base is handling. Levocarnitine free base is strongly hygroscopic and will deliquesce on exposure to air, which makes it awkward in open blending and on tablet lines. The tartrate crystallises as a stable, free-flowing white powder holding moisture at or below 0.5%, so it survives normal warehouse and blending conditions without caking. It dissolves freely in water and gives a mildly acidic solution, pH 3.0 to 4.5 at 5% w/v, which suits fruit-flavoured drink mixes and effervescent formats. The levocarnitine used to form this salt is made either by chemical synthesis with chiral resolution or by microbial biotransformation of achiral precursors such as gamma-butyrobetaine or crotonobetaine using Escherichia coli or Proteus strains. Neither route uses animal-derived raw materials, so the powder supports vegetarian and vegan label positioning, a question that comes up on nearly every enquiry given carnitine's association with red meat. Standard supply is 25 kg net, with COA, MSDS, allergen, non-GMO and manufacturing-route declarations issued against each lot.