PQQ

Mechanism of Action

PQQ acts as a redox cofactor within the cell. It takes part in electron transfer during metabolic reactions, a role comparable to that of B vitamins. Its distinguishing feature is catalytic stability: in chemistry, it runs through thousands of redox cycles without degrading, where ascorbic acid manages a handful.

Cell and animal work describes signalling that activates the formation of new mitochondria, the organelles responsible for energy production. In humans, one trial measured a rise in a marker of this pathway, the PGC-1α protein. This renewal process matters for tissues with high metabolic demand such as the heart, brain and muscles.

In the laboratory, PQQ neutralises free radicals generated during energy metabolism.

Key Benefits

• Moderate

  Better-preserved memory and attention: four placebo-controlled trials, in adults aged 20 to 79, measured gains after 12 weeks on selective attention, verbal memory or language depending on the trial. Three trials at 20 mg per day, the fourth at 21.5 mg.

• Emerging

  Less background inflammation: in ten healthy adults, three days at 0.3 mg per kilogram, roughly 21 mg per day, lowered C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, two blood markers of inflammation.

• Emerging

  A marker of mitochondrial renewal on the rise: in 23 men following six weeks of supervised endurance training, 20 mg per day increased the PGC-1α protein, which drives the production of new mitochondria.

Dosage & Forms

PQQ is supplemented mainly in two forms: the disodium salt and the free acid. The disodium salt is more soluble and more stable, and it is the form used in the human trials on record.

The cognitive trials give 20 mg per day over twelve weeks, 21.5 mg in one of them. Shorter measurements covered biological markers, at 0.2 mg per kilogram as a single dose and 0.3 mg per kilogram over three days, roughly 14 and 21 mg. The European safety assessment lists twelve clinical trials in all, from 10 to 100 mg per day and from three days to twenty-four weeks.

The material is obtained by bacterial fermentation of Hyphomicrobium denitrificans, a process that allows high purity and reproducible production.

Pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium salt has been authorised as a novel food in the European Union since 2018, and in the United Kingdom. That authorisation sets a maximum of 20 mg per day, restricts use to food supplements intended for adults, and excludes pregnant and breastfeeding women.

In the Singular Formula

Safety & Precautions

PQQ has a favourable tolerability profile at the doses studied. The available clinical trials, up to 20 mg per day for 24 weeks, report tolerability comparable to placebo, with no significant adverse effect on the blood and urinary parameters measured.

The European safety assessment carried out in 2017 rests on genotoxicity testing and on a 90-day animal toxicity study. It concludes that the margin between the no-observed-adverse-effect level and 20 mg per day is sufficient. It identifies the kidney as the critical organ in animals, and notes that no human trial has evaluated renal function comprehensively. The documented record stops there: no longer-term toxicity study has been conducted in animals, and published human follow-up does not exceed 24 weeks.

No drug interaction is documented to date.

Pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium salt is for adults only: its authorisation excludes pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as children. People on regular medication are advised to consult a healthcare professional before use.

Scientific Studies

Frequently Asked Questions