Racemic ALA better anti-oxidant/liver protector

[Iceburg]

THIS WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED BY ABCESSION FROM BBX.

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There's been a lot of talk lately, backed up by legitimate research, proving that the R form of ALA may be more beneficial, not to mention a bit more costly than getting the R and S mix.

Maybe we should all save a bit of hard-earned cash and read this:

Combined non-enzymic and enzymic reduction favors bioactivation of racemic lipoic acid: an advantage of a racemic drug? Biewenga, Gerreke Ph.; Haenen, Guido R. M. M.; Groen, Brenda H.; Biewenga, Jeike E.; Van Grondelle, Rienk; Bast, Aalt. Department of Pharmacochemistry, Division of Molecular Pharmacology, Leiden/Amsterdam Center for Drug Research, Amsterdam, Neth. Chirality (1997), 9(4), 362-366.

Abstract

For the antioxidant effect of lipoic acid, reduction to dihydrolipoic acid is considered to be important. Dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (LipHD) preferentially reduces R-lipoic acid and in a subsequent reaction, and R-dihydrolipoic acid formed may non-enzymically reduce S-lipoic acid. In vitro, it was found that S-lipoic acid is reduced by LipDH using R-lipoic acid as a catalyst. The non-enzymic dithiol-disulfide reaction leads to synergistic redn. of the enantiomers which can explain the higher antioxidant activity of racemic lipoic acid found in vivo (Maitra et al. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 221:422-429, 1996) in comparison to the enantiomers. Lipoic acid is therapeutically active in several diseases via antioxidant activity. These findings suggest that racemic lipoic acid can be therapeutically more active than the separate enantiomers.


Has anyone used both the mixture and the R form separately? What kind of results did you have? Any input would be appreciated.


Abcession

 

[Iceburg]

 

[Norway]

Hmmmm BUMP

 

[macrophage69alpha]

In vitro (in VEE-troe)
In glass. This term refers to an experiment performed in an artificial environment like a test tube or culture media.

In vivo (in VEE-voe)
Refers to a test performed in a living body or organism. In vivo can also be used to refer to a process or reaction in a living body or organism.



these definitions are important... to understanding why that IN VITRO study is not all that relevant.. in certain media you will get high reduction of both.. however IN VIVO.. s-ala blocks reduction of r-ala in many tissues.. and then there is also the plasma insulin effects to take into consideration.

racemic ala is good.. r-ala is just better..

there may be certain conditions under which the physiological effects desired are better enabled by racemic-ala. Some people may want to increase plasma insulin at certain times. this is still being looked at..

 

[Iceburg]

In vivo (in VEE-voe)
Refers to a test performed in a living body or organism. In vivo can also be used to refer to a process or reaction in a living body or organism.

racemic ala is good.. r-ala is just better..

Hmmmm...what about the part where it says...

"The non-enzymic dithiol-disulfide reaction leads to synergistic redn. of the enantiomers which can explain the higher antioxidant activity of racemic lipoic acid found in vivo"

This says that RACEMIC ALA works better than the seperate enantiomers.....on humans and living organisms.....not in a test tube.

 

[macrophage69alpha]

higher antioxident activity means very little.. it is the tissue specific activity with ala that are so crucial to its effectiveness.. note that later studies have found quite the opposite.. which is why there are more and more r-ala studies

btw- as far a hepatic protection.. the racemic may be as effective.. there is only the issue of cytosolic versus mitochondrial reduction and how that relates to reduction.

 

[Ulter]

Hmmmm...what about the part where it says...

"The non-enzymic dithiol-disulfide reaction leads to synergistic redn. of the enantiomers which can explain the higher antioxidant activity of racemic lipoic acid found in vivo"

This says that RACEMIC ALA works better than the seperate enantiomers.....on humans and living organisms.....not in a test tube.

No bro that's not what it says.

The Authors of this study are only questioning the results they got in the lab. That's why they have a question mark in the title. If you like I will post several studies (again) showing the r-ALA to be far superior to racemic in liver protection.
That's why they ONLY use r-ALA in medicine. The racemic ALA is a supp the r-ALA, until now, has only been used as a pharmacuetical.
If you are going to protect your liver wouldn't you want to use the same thing the medical profession uses? Or would you use what they sell at GNC?