L-Carnitine L-Tartrate
Compiled from published pharmacological and botanical literature. Not independently verified by Herbuno. Spotted an error or have a correction? Flag it below →
| Compound | L-Carnitine L-tartrate (LCLT) |
|---|---|
| Chemical class | Tartrate salt of L-carnitine, conventionally 2:1 carnitine to tartaric acid |
| CAS | 36687-82-8 (L-carnitine L-tartrate) · 541-15-1 (L-carnitine) |
| Component MW | L-carnitine 161.20 · L-tartaric acid 150.09 |
| Carnitine equivalence | Approx. 68.2% L-carnitine at the 2:1 ratio |
| Key property | Non-hygroscopic and free-flowing — the reason dry carnitine formats exist |
| Claim strength | High for the handling advantage; Moderate for the LCLT recovery literature |
| Buy from Herbuno | L-Carnitine L-Tartrate Powder |
| Origin | Processed / Sourced from India |
| MOQ | R&D 100 g / 250 g (subject to stock) · Pilot batch 1–5 kg · Bulk 10 kg, 25 kg and above |
| Lead Time | Dispatch within 72 hrs from stock · fresh-batch production (typically 50 kg+): 10 working days |
| Documentation | CoA & MSDS standard with every lot |
Name origin: The salt of L-carnitine with L-tartaric acid, the dicarboxylic acid first isolated from wine lees by Scheele in 1769 and the compound in which Pasteur discovered molecular chirality in 1848. Both components are specified as the L-form here and for different reasons: carnitine because D-carnitine is a transport inhibitor, tartaric acid because the natural L-(+)-form is the article of commerce from wine-industry by-products.
Why the salt exists: Free-base L-carnitine is extremely hygroscopic. As a permanently charged quaternary ammonium zwitterion it absorbs atmospheric moisture to the point of deliquescence under ordinary storage conditions, caking and then liquefying in the container. That makes dry formats — tablets, capsules, powder blends, bars — impractical with the free base. The tartrate salt is a stable, non-hygroscopic, free-flowing crystalline powder, and it carries the highest carnitine fraction among the commonly traded non-hygroscopic salts. That combination is the whole reason it dominates the dry-format trade.
Research trajectory: LCLT has a modest literature of its own, distinct from carnitine generally, which is unusual for a salt form. Work from the early 2000s examined LCLT at 1 to 2 grams daily in resistance-trained subjects and reported reduced markers of muscle damage and soreness after exercise, and increased androgen receptor content in muscle. The studies are small and from a limited number of groups, and whether the findings reflect the tartrate or simply carnitine delivered in a usable dry form has not been separated.
Commercial source: The carnitine component is produced by chemoenzymatic synthesis or fermentation and combined with L-tartaric acid, which is predominantly recovered from wine-industry by-products. That origin is worth noting for vegan and kosher documentation: tartaric acid from wine lees is a grape-derived material and the certification position depends on the processing, which should be confirmed rather than assumed.
Evidence for L-Carnitine L-Tartrate Applications
The handling advantage is the primary and unqualified justification for the form. Free-base carnitine's hygroscopicity is not a marginal inconvenience: it deliquesces in ambient humidity, which rules out tablets, capsules, powder blends and bars without specialised packaging and humidity control. LCLT is a free-flowing crystalline powder with normal handling behaviour, stable in standard foil-lined packaging, and compatible with direct compression and automated capsule filling. For any dry carnitine format this is a decisive and legitimate technical advantage rather than a marketing one. Claim strength: High.
At 68.2% carnitine the tartrate has the highest carnitine density among the common non-hygroscopic salts, which drives the form selection. The conventional 2:1 ratio — two moles of carnitine to one of tartaric acid — gives 322.40 parts carnitine in 472.49 parts total. The fumarate, at a 1:1 ratio, delivers approximately 58.1%. The hydrochloride is denser still at 81.6% but introduces chloride and strong acidity. So for a dry format where carnitine per unit dose is the binding constraint, the tartrate is usually the right answer. Claim strength: High.
The ratio should be specified, because it is not universally fixed. The 2:1 stoichiometry is conventional and is what the 68.2% figure assumes, but material at other ratios exists and the ratio is not always stated on a certificate. A 1:1 carnitine tartrate would deliver only approximately 51.8% carnitine, a difference of a quarter against the assumed figure. Require the ratio and a carnitine assay stated as a percentage of total mass, with the tartaric acid content consistent with both. This is the same discipline that citrulline malate requires and for the same reason. Claim strength: High.
The LCLT-specific exercise literature is real but thin, and should be presented as such. Trials using 1 to 2 grams of LCLT daily in resistance-trained subjects have reported reduced post-exercise markers of muscle damage, lower perceived soreness, and increased muscle androgen receptor content. The work is methodologically reasonable but comes from a small number of research groups with modest sample sizes, and no study has compared LCLT against an equivalent carnitine dose from another salt, which is the design needed to attribute anything to the tartrate. The defensible statement is that LCLT is the form used in this literature. Claim strength: Moderate.
Carnitine's underlying constraints apply unchanged and should not be obscured by the salt's advantages. Oral carnitine bioavailability is approximately 14 to 18% against 54 to 87% for dietary carnitine; muscle uptake is insulin-dependent and difficult to achieve without substantial carbohydrate co-ingestion over weeks; and carnitine is not rate-limiting for fat oxidation in replete muscle, so fat-loss claims remain weakly supported. The tartrate solves a formulation problem, not a physiological one. Claim strength: High.
Chirality remains the critical specification point, and it applies to both ions. D-carnitine is a competitive inhibitor of the OCTN2 transporter and of carnitine acyltransferases rather than an inert diluent, so racemic carnitine content is a safety and efficacy problem rather than a potency discount. Separately, tartaric acid is itself chiral, and the natural L-(+)-form is the commercial article; the specification should name it. Require optical rotation or chiral chromatography on the carnitine, and treat an unexplained price advantage in this category as a reason to test. Claim strength: High.
Sourcing L-carnitine L-tartrate from Herbuno. We supply LCLT as a free-flowing crystalline powder for dry formats.
Specify three things and the category's usual problems disappear: the carnitine to tartaric acid mole ratio, the carnitine assay as a percentage of total mass, and optical rotation confirming L-carnitine. The last is a safety specification rather than a potency one, since D-carnitine inhibits carnitine transport rather than merely diluting it. All lots ship with CoA and MSDS; request a quotation for pilot or bulk volumes.
Dosage & Formulator Specification
Dose on carnitine content. At the conventional 2:1 ratio LCLT is approximately 68.2% L-carnitine, so 1 gram of LCLT delivers about 682 milligrams of carnitine and a 1 gram carnitine target requires about 1.47 grams of LCLT. The LCLT exercise literature used 1 to 2 grams of LCLT daily, which is roughly 680 milligrams to 1.4 grams of carnitine — a point worth noting, because those doses are at the lower end of the general carnitine range and a formulator reproducing the protocol should dose the salt, not the carnitine, to match it.
The ratio and assay basis belong on the purchase specification together. A certificate reading "L-carnitine L-tartrate 99%" establishes purity of the salt and nothing about carnitine content, which depends on the ratio. Require the mole ratio stated, the carnitine assay as a percentage of total mass, and the tartaric acid content, with the three internally consistent. A 1:1 material would deliver approximately 51.8% carnitine against the 68.2% assumed for 2:1, so the ambiguity is a quarter of the dose.
Handling is the form's strength and is straightforward. LCLT is a free-flowing white crystalline powder, non-hygroscopic in normal conditions, stable in standard foil-lined packaging, and compatible with direct compression, granulation and automated capsule filling. It is freely soluble in water, giving mildly acidic solutions from the tartaric acid. Taste is sour and somewhat astringent from the tartrate, which integrates acceptably with citrus and berry flavour systems but will need masking in neutral or dairy matrices. Bulk density is adequate for capsule filling without excessive compaction.
Co-formulation requires accounting for the tartrate's acid contribution and, where muscle carnitine is the objective, for the insulin requirement. A 2 gram LCLT dose contributes roughly 640 milligrams of tartaric acid, which is a meaningful acidulant load in a reconstituted beverage and should be deducted from any separately added acid rather than stacked on top. If the product's claim depends on raising muscle carnitine, the formulation needs a substantial carbohydrate component and a multi-week usage protocol; if it does not, the claim should be written so it does not imply muscle carnitine saturation.
For analytical control, specify L-carnitine identity and assay with basis stated, optical rotation or chiral chromatography confirming L-carnitine, L-tartaric acid content and configuration, the mole ratio, and water content. Standard coverage includes heavy metals, residual solvents, microbiological limits, loss on drying and sulphated ash. Where the carnitine component is fermentation-derived, specify residual host-cell protein and endotoxin and name the organism and substrate; where it is chemoenzymatic, name the process-related impurities and enzyme source.
One certification point specific to this salt deserves attention. L-tartaric acid is predominantly recovered from wine-industry by-products, principally argols and lees, which makes it a grape-derived material. For vegan positioning this is normally unproblematic, but kosher and halal assessment of wine-derived tartaric acid depends on the processing and on the certifying body's position, and it is not safe to assume that a supplier's general certifications cover it. Where the finished product carries kosher or halal certification, require the tartaric acid origin and its certification status named explicitly on the certificate, and confirm it with the certifying body rather than inferring it. Synthetic and fermentation-derived tartaric acid exist but are not the default article.
Frequently Asked Questions — L-Carnitine L-Tartrate
How much carnitine does LCLT deliver?
Approximately 68.2% at the conventional 2:1 carnitine-to-tartaric-acid ratio. One gram of LCLT gives about 682 mg carnitine; a 1 gram carnitine target needs about 1.47 grams of LCLT. That is the highest carnitine fraction among the commonly traded non-hygroscopic salts, which is why it dominates dry formats.
Why not just use free-base carnitine?
Because it deliquesces. Free-base carnitine is a permanently charged zwitterion and absorbs atmospheric moisture to the point of liquefying in the container under ordinary storage. That rules out tablets, capsules, powder blends and bars without specialised packaging and humidity control. LCLT behaves like a normal crystalline powder.
Do I need to specify the ratio?
Yes. The 2:1 stoichiometry is conventional but not universal, and a 1:1 material delivers about 51.8% carnitine against 68.2% — a quarter of the dose. "L-carnitine L-tartrate 99%" tells you about salt purity and nothing about carnitine content. Require the ratio, the carnitine assay as a percentage of total mass, and the tartaric acid content, mutually consistent.
Is the LCLT recovery research reliable?
Real but thin. Trials at 1 to 2 grams LCLT daily in resistance-trained subjects report reduced post-exercise damage markers, lower soreness and increased muscle androgen receptor content. Small samples, a limited number of research groups, and no study comparing LCLT against an equivalent carnitine dose from another salt. The defensible claim is that LCLT is the form used.
Does the tartrate improve absorption or fat burning?
No. It solves a formulation problem, not a physiological one. Carnitine's constraints apply unchanged: roughly 14 to 18% oral bioavailability, insulin-dependent muscle uptake needing carbohydrate co-ingestion over weeks, and no rate-limiting role in fat oxidation in replete muscle. The tartrate makes dry dosing possible; it does not change what carnitine does.
Any certification issue with the tartaric acid?
Yes, worth checking rather than assuming. L-tartaric acid is predominantly recovered from wine-industry by-products, so it is grape-derived. Vegan positioning is normally fine, but kosher and halal assessment of wine-derived tartaric acid depends on processing and on the certifying body. Require the origin and its certification status named on the certificate.