Coenzyme Q10

CoQ10 was discovered by Dr. Frederick L. Crane at the University of Wisconsin in the late 1950s during his research on the biochemistry of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, also known as the respiratory chain. The pure substance isolated from beef heart mitochondria was sent to Dr. Karl Folkers at the pharmaceutical company Merck for identification and elucidation of its structure. It was designated coenzyme Q10 because of its quinone structure and the ten isoprene unit side chain. During the same time period, another group of scientists led by Dr. R. A. Morton in England isolated the same substance from mitochondria and named it ubiquinone because of its widespread occurrence in nature. The vital role of CoQ10 in the electron transport chain was first described by Dr. Peter Mitchell of England who was awarded the Nobel prize for his work.