Carnosine (beta-alanyl-L-histidine) is a urinary biomarker which comes from the consumption of beef, pork, and to a lesser extent, poultry.
It is a dipeptide consisting of the amino acids histidine and beta-alanine and is concentrated in skeletal and heart muscle, brain, and kidneys. Carnosine has antioxidant properties, antiglycation effects, enhanced calcium sensitivity, and pH buffering activity during highintensity exercise.
It also has neuroprotective properties and may play an important role in Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Carnosine is also protective against secondary diabetic renal complications.
Plasma levels are non-detectable in fasting individuals; after beef consumption, postprandial plasma carnosine levels tend to rise then decrease to non-detectable levels within hours of consumption. In urine, levels reach a peak after 5 hours, but carnosine is completely excreted within 20-25 hours following the meal.
Carnosine has an affinity to chelate zinc, copper, cobalt, nickel and cadmium. The combination of zinc chelated with L-carnosine has been used therapeutically in the treatment of gastric ulcers. Carnosine is measured in FMV urine only.
References:
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Carnosine (dipeptide)
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