01Product

Acetyl-L-Carnitine HCl

At a glance

Acetyl-L-Carnitine HCl from Zhicheng Bio — supply summary

Zhicheng Bio supplies bulk Acetyl-L-Carnitine HCl, CAS 5080-50-2, shipping from Shanghai, China. This grade is produced to order. Every shipment carries a batch Certificate of Analysis; specification sheet and MSDS are supplied on request. Sourced to order — about 1 week to Shanghai port. Zhicheng Bio publishes no list price — quotes are issued per quantity and Incoterm by email to zhicheng1@zhicheng-bio.cn.

Supplier: Zhicheng Bio, Shanghai, China
CAS number: 5080-50-2
Molecular formula: C9H17NO4·HCl
Availability: Made to order
Documents: Batch CoA with every shipment; spec sheet and MSDS on request
Packing: 25 kg cartons or bags, adjustable
PubChem CID: 2733928
How to get a price: Email RFQ to zhicheng1@zhicheng-bio.cn — no list price is published

Carnitine Series ~1 week

Acetyl-L-Carnitine HCl

CAS 5080-50-2 · C9H17NO4·HCl

Bulk Acetyl-L-Carnitine HCl for B2B manufacturing — supplied against your target specification, with documentation your QA can review before anything ships. Pricing below is indicative; send an RFQ for a firm quote, MOQ and lead time.

$27.3 – $30.6 /kg by order volume · indicative, ex-Shanghai

Indicative range — larger volumes price toward the low end. Ingredient markets move weekly; your firm price is confirmed by quotation, typically within one business day.

Category: Carnitine Series

Availability: Sourced to order — about 1 week to Shanghai port

Packing: 25 kg bags, cartons or drums (standard)

Key supply points

Supplied against your target specification — USP / FCC / JP monograph where applicable
Recent batch COA provided with the quotation, before you commit
Consolidates with other SKUs into one shipment out of Shanghai
Third-party lab verification available pre-shipment on request

Documentation with every batch

COA per batchSpec SheetMSDS / SDSExport docs

Third-party lab verification can be arranged pre-shipment on request. Certificates of origin, non-GMO or allergen statements per destination-market requirements.

Request COA & Quote Use the RFQ form

Shipping & Lead Time

Estimate freight for this product

~1 weekSourced to order — about 1 week to Shanghai port

Destination region Quantity (kg)

Air FreightFast

Transit: —
Est. freight *: —
Total door-to-port: —

Sea LCLValue

Transit: —
Est. freight *: —
Total door-to-port: —

Request Exact Quote

Documentation-first

COA per batch, Spec Sheet and MSDS — reviewed by your QA before anything ships.

Ready-stock depth

Multi-tonne inventory on core SKUs, plus 28 actives held in our US warehouse in Los Angeles for domestic delivery.

Certified supply chain

Sourced from audited, certified manufacturers — ISO, HACCP, Halal & Kosher available.

Flexible export

25 kg bags, cartons or drums; FOB / CIF / DDP by lane, sea or air consolidation.

02Identity & properties

Identity & properties

Compound identifiers and physical properties for this material. The binding version is always the Specification Sheet and batch COA issued with your quotation.

CAS No.	5080-50-2
Molecular Formula	C9H18ClNO4 (written as C9H17NO4·HCl)
Molecular Weight	239.69
EINECS	610-570-8
Synonyms	ALCAR, ALC, Acetylcarnitine hydrochloride, Levacecarnine hydrochloride, O-acetyl-L-carnitine hydrochloride
Appearance	White crystalline powder
Solubility	Freely soluble in water; hygroscopic

03Specifications

Specifications

Typical parameters below — the binding version is the Specification Sheet and batch COA we send with your quotation.

Parameter	Specification	Test method
Acetyl-L-carnitine content (free base equivalent)	84.8% theoretical	Calculated from molecular weights
Free L-carnitine (hydrolysis product)	—	HPLC
Water content	—	Karl Fischer
Assay (as-is / dried basis)	—	Titration or HPLC per the applicable monograph
Appearance	—	Visual
Identification	—	IR / specific optical rotation per monograph
Specific optical rotation	—	Polarimetry
Loss on drying	—	Gravimetric
Residue on ignition / sulphated ash	—	Gravimetric
Chloride	—	Per monograph
Sulphate	—	Per monograph
Iron	—	Per monograph
Other amino acids / related substances	—	TLC or HPLC per monograph
Heavy metals (Pb / As / Cd / Hg)	—	ICP-MS or per monograph
Microbiology (TAMC / TYMC / E. coli / Salmonella)	—	USP <61>/<62> or equivalent

A dash means we have no fixed limit to publish for that parameter: it is reported on the batch COA and the limit is agreed with your QA. We would rather leave it blank than invent a number. Full physical, chemical, heavy-metal and microbiological parameters are listed in the Specification Sheet — sent with every quotation.

04Formulation & handling notes

Formulation & handling notes

The practical points our technical team raises with buyers of this material — the things that decide whether a batch behaves in your process.

ALCAR is an ester, and that changes everything about how you handle it relative to plain carnitine. The acetyl group hydrolyses back to free L-carnitine and acetic acid, so free carnitine on the COA is the row that tells you whether a lot has been held warm or wet. Ask for it — a bare 'assay ≥98%' does not answer the question.

Because it hydrolyses, aqueous liquid formats are the hard case and dry capsules or tablets are the easy one. If a customer asks for ALCAR in a ready-to-drink product, the conversation should start with hold time, pH and temperature, not with solubility.

It is markedly hygroscopic, more so than the carnitine tartrate. That makes Karl Fischer water the right control rather than loss on drying (which cannot separate water from volatile acetic acid), and it makes low-humidity dispensing a requirement rather than good practice.

Potency is 84.8% acetyl-L-carnitine as the free base in the hydrochloride (203.24/239.69). Note the trap: the carnitine equivalent is lower again, 67.3%, because the acetyl group is part of the mass. A label that declares 'L-carnitine' from an ALCAR raw material has to be calculated on the right basis.

The hydrochloride counter-ion gives an acidic solution, which slows ester hydrolysis relative to neutral or alkaline conditions — the reason the material is sold as the HCl salt rather than the free base.

At roughly five times the price per kilogram of L-carnitine tartrate, ALCAR is not a drop-in substitute on cost. It is specified when the acetyl form is the point of the formulation, not as a carnitine source.

05Applications

Applications

B2B manufacturing use only — no finished-product or health claims.

Cognitive-support and nootropic formulations

Sports-nutrition and energy formulations

Capsules and tablets (the dominant format, for hygroscopicity reasons)

Nutraceutical combination products

Veterinary and companion-animal nutrition

06Regulatory status by market

Regulatory status by market

Status of the raw material, stated as conservatively as our sources allow. This is supply-chain information, not regulatory advice — confirm the position for your finished product and destination market with your own regulatory counsel.

Market	Status	Basis
United States	Acetyl-L-carnitine is not among the amino acids listed in 21 CFR 172.320, and no GRAS notice for acetyl-L-carnitine was found in FDA's GRAS Notice Inventory (a 'carnitine' search returned only GRN 362, 935 and 993, all for levocarnitine or L-carnitine-L-tartrate). US supplement marketing rests on DSHEA.	21 CFR 172.320; FDA GRAS Notice Inventory ('carnitine' search)
European Union	Acetyl-L-carnitine is a prescription medicine in some EU member states, which can constrain or prohibit its use as a food supplement ingredient in those markets.	National medicines classification; Directive 2001/83/EC borderline assessment
China	Status as a nutrient fortification substance / food additive under Chinese national standards to be confirmed.	GB 14880-2012 (nutrient fortification substances), GB 2760 (food additives), and NHC new-food-ingredient announcements
Japan	No JP XVIII Official Monograph for this substance was located.	JP XVIII

07Selected research

Selected research

Peer-reviewed literature on this compound, with linked identifiers so you can read the primary source rather than take our word for it.

These references are listed for scientific context only. They describe published research on the compound; they are not claims about this raw material and not claims about any finished product. Zhicheng Bio makes no medical, health or performance claims.

A Cochrane systematic review of double-blind randomised trials of acetyl-L-carnitine in dementia reported that early studies suggested a beneficial effect on cognition and behaviour in ageing subjects while later, larger studies did not support those findings, and that the efficacy of acetyl-L-carnitine in cognitive decline remained unclear. Hudson S, Tabet N. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2003;2003(2):CD003158. PMID 12804452 DOI 10.1002/14651858.CD003158 Source
A Cochrane review of acetyl-L-carnitine for hepatic encephalopathy identified five randomised clinical trials involving 398 participants, all conducted in Italy by a single team, and assessed all of them as at high risk of bias and underpowered. Martí-Carvajal AJ, Gluud C, Arevalo-Rodriguez I, Martí-Amarista CE. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019;1(1):CD011451. PMID 30610762 DOI 10.1002/14651858.CD011451.pub2 Source
In a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled proof-of-principle trial, adults with severe carpal tunnel syndrome received 3000 mg/day oral acetyl-L-carnitine or placebo for two months after carpal tunnel release, with outcomes assessed to 12 months post-operatively. Curran MWT, Morhart MJ, Olson JL, Hachisuka A, Chan KM. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2019;143(1):111e-120e. PMID 30589790 DOI 10.1097/PRS.0000000000005089 Source
A review of carnitine kinetics reported that in vitro experiments suggest acetyl-L-carnitine is partially hydrolysed in enterocytes during absorption, and that circulating acetyl-L-carnitine concentration increased 43% after oral supplements of 2 g/day, indicating that it is absorbed at least partially without hydrolysis. Rebouche CJ. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2004;1033:30-41. PMID 15591001 DOI 10.1196/annals.1320.003 Source

08Packing, storage & lead time

Packing, storage & lead time

Standard packing	25 kg bags, cartons or drums
Private packing	Custom packing & labeling available for regular customers
Storage	Cool, dry place, sealed in original packaging
Lead time	Sourced to order — about 1 week to Shanghai port
Shipping	Sea or air consolidation out of Shanghai · FOB / CIF / DDP by lane

09Procurement FAQ

Procurement FAQ

01What should I look at on an ALCAR COA besides assay?

Free L-carnitine and Karl Fischer water. ALCAR is an ester that hydrolyses back to carnitine and acetic acid, so free carnitine is the number that tells you how a batch has been stored and shipped. Loss on drying is not good enough because it cannot separate water from volatile acetic acid.

02Can I use ALCAR in a liquid product?

It is the hard case. The acetyl ester hydrolyses in water, faster at higher pH and higher temperature. If you need a liquid, come to us with your pH, fill temperature and intended shelf life and we will discuss it with the manufacturer before you commit to a formulation.

03How do I convert ALCAR HCl to a carnitine label figure?

Carefully, and on the right basis. Acetyl-L-carnitine free base is 84.8% of the hydrochloride (203.24/239.69); L-carnitine equivalent is lower again at about 67.3% because the acetyl group is part of the mass. State on your RFQ which basis your target is on.

04Why is it so much more expensive than carnitine tartrate?

It is a different molecule with an extra synthesis step, not a grade of carnitine. At roughly five times the tartrate's price per kilogram it is specified when the acetyl form is the point of the product. If your formula just needs carnitine, the tartrate is the value route and we hold 12 tonnes of it.

05Can we sell an ALCAR supplement in the EU?

Check country by country before you commit. Acetyl-L-carnitine is a prescription medicine in some EU member states, which can rule it out as a supplement ingredient there. This is a regulatory question for your own counsel; we will supply whatever documentation the manufacturer can provide to support it.

06What is the MOQ for Acetyl-L-Carnitine HCl?

MOQ is quote-based and flexible. Tell us your target quantity in the RFQ — for core in-stock SKUs we can usually accommodate both trial orders and multi-tonne volumes.

07Can I get a sample of Acetyl-L-Carnitine HCl before ordering?

Yes — samples are available on request for evaluation and lab verification. Mention it in your RFQ and we will confirm the arrangement.

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