α-Lipoic acid is a pale yellow powdery crystal, almost odorless. It has a low solubility in water, about 1 g/L (20°C). It is soluble in 10% NaOH solution and aliphatic solvents. It is easily soluble in methanol, ethanol, chloroform, and ether.
Lipoic acid is also called α-lipoic acid.
Lipoic acid has a chiral center, so it has two configurations, R and S.
Natural lipoic acid is a white crystal, only the R configuration, and only the R configuration of lipoic acid can be covalently conjugated to the lysine residue through an amide bond to play the role of a coenzyme.
Artificially synthesized lipoic acid is a mixture of equal proportions of R and S configurations, which is a pale yellow powdery substance and is very soluble in lipid solvents.
This product is a light yellow powder crystal, almost odorless. It has a low solubility in water, about 1 g/L (20°C). It is soluble in 10% NaOH solution and aliphatic solvents. It is easily soluble in ethanol, chloroform and ether.
Lipoic acid should be a necessary nutritional supplement for every patient with diabetes or mild hyperglycemia. In addition, lipoic acid is also used in compound liver protection products as a nutrient necessary for liver cell repair. Healthy young people should also supplement antioxidants for maintenance, but they do not need to supplement lipoic acid. After the age of 45, if there is a family risk of diabetes, even if there are no clinical symptoms of diabetes, diet, exercise, weight control and low-dose lipoic acid supplementation can prevent and delay the occurrence of diabetes.
For the skin that is prone to dry fine lines or aging skin, you can also choose anti-wrinkle leather care products with lipoic acid as the main ingredient.
Lipoic acid may increase the sensitivity of cells to insulin in patients with type 2 diabetes, so it may be necessary to lower the dose of hypoglycemic drugs. For diabetic patients who are already taking hypoglycemic drugs, it is best to monitor blood sugar regularly within one to two weeks of taking lipoic acid to avoid hypoglycemia.
