Choline is an essential nutrient and it is a precursor for Betaine. Through oxidation reaction choline gets converted into betaine in the liver. Choline plays an important role in the metabolism of homocysteine and that response to post methionine load is very useful.One of the major commercial salts for supplementation of choline is choline bitartrate. Choline is absorbed from the small intestine by means of transporter proteins in the intestinal cells. Some choline is metabolized in the gut to betaine (trimethylglycine) and trimethylamine, which are also absorbed by the gut. Choline, as well as betaine and trimethylamine, are transported to the liver via portal circulation.In the liver, choline participates in various metabolic reactions, including the formation of CDP-choline, which combines with diacylglycerol to form phosphatidylcholine. Through oxidation, it forms the methyl donor betaine. Trimethylamine, a choline metabolite, is oxidized to trimethylamine oxide in the liver. Choline is transported across the blood-brain barrier by a specific carrier mechanism. Within the brain and other nervous tissue, choline is converted to acetylcholine by the enzyme choline acetyltransferase. Only a small fraction of dietary choline goes to form acetylcholine.
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