Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), also known as ubiquinone, is a fat-soluble, vitamin-like substance naturally present in nearly every cell of the human body. This molecule is fundamental to the body’s energy system, performing a central function within the mitochondria, often called the cell’s powerhouses. CoQ10 acts as a shuttle, transferring electrons along the respiratory chain to facilitate the creation of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy currency for all cellular activity.
Endogenous Production in the Body
The body possesses the capacity to synthesize CoQ10 internally through a complex series of biochemical reactions. This biosynthetic pathway shares several early steps with the process that creates cholesterol, specifically utilizing the mevalonate pathway. The final CoQ10 molecule is built from two distinct components: a benzoquinone ring structure and a long isoprenoid tail. The quinone ring portion is derived from the amino acid tyrosine, while the long tail is constructed from acetyl-CoA via the mevalonate pathway. Successful internal production relies on cofactors, including several B vitamins like riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), and B12, along with folate. The body’s natural ability to produce CoQ10 tends to decline with age, often beginning around the age of twenty.
Industrial Manufacturing Methods
Because internal production decreases with age, CoQ10 for supplements is largely produced through controlled industrial methods. The two primary techniques used to mass-produce this compound are microbial fermentation and chemical synthesis. The production method influences the final purity and the isomeric form of the CoQ10 molecule.
Microbial fermentation is the preferred and most common industrial method for producing high-quality CoQ10. This method utilizes a natural biological process where specific strains of yeast or bacteria are cultured in large fermentation tanks. This process is favorable because it naturally results in the trans isomer of CoQ10, which is identical in structure to the form the human body produces and uses.
The other technique is chemical synthesis, which involves a multi-step laboratory process that builds the CoQ10 molecule from smaller chemical precursors. Early chemical synthesis methods yielded a mixture of the natural trans isomer and the less active cis isomer. While modern chemical techniques have improved, fermentation remains the method recognized for consistently producing the biologically active trans form with high purity.
Once manufactured, CoQ10 is isolated and purified. It can be sold in its oxidized form, called ubiquinone, or its reduced form, called ubiquinol. Both forms are utilized in the body, but the manufacturing method primarily determines the purity and structure of the initial raw material powder.
Source Materials for Supplements
The raw materials used to initiate the manufacturing process differ depending on whether fermentation or synthesis is employed. For microbial fermentation, the starting materials are specific biological organisms—selected strains of yeast or bacteria—which act as miniature CoQ10 factories. These microorganisms, such as Agrobacterium tumefaciens or certain fungi like Rhodotorula, are grown in a nutrient-rich culture medium.
Conversely, chemical synthesis relies on organic compounds as its base materials. A common precursor molecule for the chemical construction of CoQ10 is solanesol, a long-chain alcohol that can be isolated from natural sources such as tobacco leaves.