Research background · Updated November 1, 2026
L-Carnitine Research: Publications, Study Types and Background
Short answer
L-Carnitine is listed as quaternary ammonium compound; the L-isomer of carnitine. As of November 1, 2026, PubMed indexes 7,010 records matching L-Carnitine, the earliest from 1953; 1,608 were published in 2021–2025 and 930 are reviews. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 411 registered studies matching the compound.
- PubMed records
- 7,010
- Earliest record
- 1953
- Published 2021–2025
- 1,608
- Reviews
- 930
- Animal-only studies
- 2,435
- Registered studies
- 411
Publications per year, 2006–2025
3,092 records in 2016–2025 against 2,019 in 2006–2015; the busiest year was 2025, with 370.
See the numbers
| Year | PubMed records |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 171 |
| 2007 | 183 |
| 2008 | 181 |
| 2009 | 158 |
| 2010 | 204 |
| 2011 | 205 |
| 2012 | 191 |
| 2013 | 236 |
| 2014 | 233 |
| 2015 | 257 |
| 2016 | 225 |
| 2017 | 238 |
| 2018 | 278 |
| 2019 | 270 |
| 2020 | 328 |
| 2021 | 357 |
| 2022 | 342 |
| 2023 | 338 |
| 2024 | 346 |
| 2025 | 370 |
Study types
| All PubMed records | 7,010 |
|---|---|
| Reviews | 93013% |
| Animal studies (no human subjects indexed) | 2,43535% |
| Indexed as clinical trials | 69210% |
| Registered on ClinicalTrials.gov | 411 |
Categories overlap and follow PubMed’s own indexing; recent records may not be indexed yet.
Primary research directions
What 2 of the most-cited and most recent L-Carnitine papers report, in their own authors’ terms. Each line links the paper it came from.
Fatty acid metabolism
This review describes L-carnitine as an endogenous molecule involved in fatty acid metabolism, reports that for fatigue or exercise performance it did not appear to have a significant effect in the literature reviewed, and says further studies are needed.
ReviewPekala J 2011Current drug metabolismPMID 21561431
Muscle and energy metabolism
This review covers L-carnitine's role in fatty acid oxidation and energy metabolism and summarizes studies in older adults that reported increased muscle mass and reduced physical and mental fatigue with L-carnitine intake.
ReviewFielding R 2018NutrientsPMID 29534031
Most-studied topics
The Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) PubMed indexers most often marked as a main topic, across 400 of the 7,010 records. They describe what the literature is about, not what L-Carnitine does.
- Carnitine252 papers
- Acetylcarnitine46 papers
- Renal Dialysis39 papers
- Vitamin B Complex21 papers
- Dietary Supplements14 papers
- Kidney Failure, Chronic12 papers
- Valproic Acid12 papers
- Hyperammonemia11 papers
Key papers
Earliest indexed record
STRACK E (1953). Hoppe-Seyler's Zeitschrift fur physiologische Chemie.
PMID 13128732Most-cited paper · 244 citations
Ferreira GC (2017). Neurochemical research.
PMID 28508995Most-cited #2 · 175 citations
Ferrari R (2004). Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.
PMID 15591005Most-cited #3 · 100 citations
Paradies G (1992). Biochimica et biophysica acta.
PMID 1543717
Citation counts from NIH iCite, among the 400 records sampled. Titles are left out; open each record on PubMed to read it.
Identity
| Synonyms and codes | Levocarnitine, (-)-Carnitine |
|---|---|
| Description | Quaternary ammonium compound; the L-isomer of carnitine |
| Supplied form | Liquid |
| CAS number | 541-15-1 |
| Molecular formula | C7H15NO3 |
| Molecular weight | 161.20 g/mol |
As published by Vanta Labs, with its sources, on the L-Carnitine page.
How these numbers were counted
- PubMed search, run November 1, 2026:
"L-carnitine"[tiab] OR levocarnitine[tiab]re-run it. Study types add PubMed’s own filters (review, clinical trial, animals not humans). - Topics: MeSH major-topic headings counted across up to 400 of the matching records; headings for study set-up (species, sex, age) are left out.
- Citations: NIH iCite citation counts for the same records.
- ClinicalTrials.gov search:
"L-carnitine" OR levocarnitinere-run it. Any phase, any status.
This page reports what has been published and what papers say they found, with each source linked. It gives no dosing or usage information, and nothing here is a reason to use L-Carnitine outside a laboratory.
Wholesale supply
L-Carnitine for research, documented lot by lot.
6000mg vials. Every wholesale lot comes with its certificate of analysis, and your quote names the lot. Pricing on inquiry.
L-Carnitine research questions
How much research has been published on L-Carnitine?
PubMed indexes 7,010 records matching L-Carnitine (searched November 1, 2026), including 930 reviews and 692 records indexed as clinical trials. 1,608 were published in the five years 2021–2025.
When was L-Carnitine first described in the literature?
The earliest PubMed record matching L-Carnitine is from 1953 (STRACK E, Hoppe-Seyler's Zeitschrift fur physiologische Chemie, PMID 13128732).
What topics does the L-Carnitine literature cover?
The subject headings PubMed indexers most often marked as a main topic of L-Carnitine papers are Carnitine, Acetylcarnitine, Renal Dialysis, Vitamin B Complex. These describe what the literature is about. Findings from individual papers, with their sources, are summarized on this page.
What is the regulatory status of L-Carnitine?
The material supplied here is a research chemical. It is not a drug product and is not for human or veterinary use.
Is L-Carnitine sold for human use?
No. Vanta Foundry supplies it for laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary use, and not a drug, food, cosmetic or dietary supplement.
Where can I buy L-Carnitine wholesale for research?
From the Vanta Foundry wholesale catalog: add it to your list, choose sizes and the number of vials, and send it on WhatsApp or by email. Every wholesale lot comes with a certificate of analysis.
Research materials supplied by Vanta Foundry are for laboratory research use only. They are not for human or veterinary use and are not drugs, foods, cosmetics or dietary supplements. Websites and payment processing are business services for research-supply brands.
All compounds: research peptide publication statistics.