Support for brain and energy health
Pyrroloquinoline Quinone disodium salt, or PQQ, is a compound renowned for its role in promoting cognitive health and energy production. Often featured in supplements aimed at enhancing brain function and memory, PQQ also supports the body's ability to create and sustain cellular energy.
About PQQ
Boosting Cognitive and Energy Functions
PQQ stands out in the supplement world for its role in keeping your brain sharp and your energy steady. Although it isn’t a vitamin, PQQ behaves a lot like one by helping key enzymes work inside your cells. Its core strength lies in protecting and supporting mitochondria, the countless powerhouses responsible for your body’s day-to-day energy.
The Role of Mitochondria
Mitochondria don’t just churn out fuel – they also signal how cells grow, age, and cope under stress. PQQ is believed to guard these structures against the steady wear-and-tear caused by metabolism. Some research points to PQQ encouraging new mitochondria growth too, which helps explain why many people link it with healthy aging or mental clarity. Pairing PQQ with other ingredients like CoQ10 or acetyl-L-carnitine is common in advanced formulas because each plays a different role in cellular resilience and performance.
Forms and Sources
You’ll mostly see PQQ as the disodium salt version. This form dissolves well in water, doesn’t break down easily on the shelf, and lets manufacturers deliver precise doses every time. While trace amounts of PQQ naturally pop up in foods like green peppers or kiwi, supplements offer a much more concentrated dose, which appeals to anyone looking for measurable effects.
Reasons for Use
Why might you want to use a supplement containing PQQ? If you’re aiming for sharper focus or want to support memory and daily energy levels – especially as you age – it could be worth considering. Biohackers often talk about mitochondrial health as the foundation of everything from mood to endurance, so PQQ has found a strong following among those looking to optimize both mind and body.
Related Products
Formulated With
Learn about other ingredients that PQQ is used alongside throughout the LVLUP range.
Detailed Information
Chemical Structure and Function
Pyrroloquinoline Quinone (PQQ), chemically named 4,5-dihydro-4,5-dioxo-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-f]quinoline-2,7,9-tricarboxylic acid disodium salt, functions as a redox cycling cofactor with high stability under physiological conditions. It mediates dehydrogenase-catalyzed redox reactions critical for electron transfer within mitochondria. Notably distinguished from classic B-vitamins due to non-universality among mammalian systems yet showing vitamin-like biological functions in lower organisms.
Mitochondrial Impact
In vitro studies demonstrate PQQ’s ability to modulate mitochondrial biogenesis via CREB-phosphorylation signaling pathways and activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α). Additional mechanistic research highlights its role as an ROS scavenger through direct redox cycling as well as indirect modulation of endogenous antioxidant enzymatic systems such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase. Chronic oral administration in preclinical models has shown dose-dependent improvements in short-term memory capacity correlated with increased hippocampal mitochondrial density.
Pharmacokinetics
Current pharmacokinetic data report rapid absorption following oral administration with peak plasma concentrations observed within 1–2 hours; elimination half-life generally ranges from 2–3 hours depending on molecular form and route. Bioavailability is favored via the disodium salt due to increased hydrophilicity.
