Product Details

TAURINE

Taurine, whose chemical name is 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, is one of the most abundant amino acids in several organs. It plays important role in essential biological processes. This conditional amino acid can be either be manufactured by the body or obtained in the diet mainly by the consumption of fish and meat.The supplements containing taurine were FDA approved by 1984 and they are hypertonic injections composed by cristalline amino acids.

Indication

The use of diet supplements containing taurine is indicated for the nutritional support of infants and young pediatric patients requiring total parenteral nutrition via central or peripheral routes. The usage of diet supplements containing taurine prevents nitrogen and weight loss or to treat negative nitrogen balance in pediatric patients where the alimentary tract cannot be done through oral, gastrostomy or jejunostomy administration, there is impaired gastrointestinal absorption or protein requirements are substantially increased.

Associated Therapies

• Total parenteral nutrition therapy

Pharmacodynamics

The diet supplements containing taurine are formulated as a well-tolerated nitrogen source for nutritional support. Administration of diet supplements regulates the level of plasma amino acid concentration, nitrogen balance, weight and serum protein concentration to reach normal values, thus improving the nutritional status.

Mechanism of action

The diet supplements containing taurine function by replacing the missing nutriments in the body. Taurine, as a single agent, presents different functions like substrate for formation of bile salts, cell volume regulation, modulation of intracellular calcium, cytoprotection of central nervous system, etc.

Absorption

Oral administration of taurine was studied and it reported dose-dependent values of AUC, Cmax and tmax wherein a dose of 1-30 mg/kg ranged from 89-3452 mcg min/L, 2-15.7 mcg min/ml and 15 min respectively.[3] Further studies in healthy individuals gave an AUC, Cmax and tmax in the range of 116-284.5 mg h/L, 59-112.6 mg/L and 1-2.5 h.[4]

Volume of distribution

The distribution of taurine was studied under the two-compartment model and each one of the compartments gave a range for the volume of distribution of 299-353 ml/kg in compartment 1 and 4608-8374 ml/kg in compartment 2 in mice.[3] Further studies in healthy indivudals gave a volume of distribution that ranged from 19.8 to 40.7 L.[4]

Protein binding

Taurine is highly bound to plasma proteins and retained in the plasma fraction.[6]

Metabolism

Taurine can be metabolized by diverse organisms to form different types of metabolites derived from the original form of taurine. In the human, the pathways that form the metabolism of taurine are divided in the formation of 5-glutamyl-taurine by the action of the enzyme gamma-glutamyltransferase 6 or the formation of taurocholate by the action of the bile acid-CoA:amino acid N-acyltransferase.[9]

• Taurine 

   

   5-glutamyl-taurine
• Taurine 

   

   taurocholate

Route of elimination

Taurine flows and gets distributed in veins and arteries and reports have observed the presence of a significant released of taurine in portally drained viscera, thus suggesting that the main elimination route of taurine is by the gut. This elimination route may be explained by the enterohepatic cycle of taurine.[5]

Half life

Oral administration of taurine in healthy individuals gave a plasma elimination half-life that ranged from 0.7-1.4 h.[4]

Clearance

The clearance rate of orally administered taurine was reported to be dose-dependent wherein a dose of 1 mg/kg it presents a clearance rate of 11.7 ml min/kg, 10 mg/kg generates a clearance rate of 18.7 ml min/kg and a dose of 30 mg/kg reports a clearance rate of 9.4 ml min/kg.Further studies in healthy individuals generate a clearance rate that ranged from 14 to 34.4 L/h.

Toxicity

The administration of taurine has been correlatefd to significant in the hypothalamus and the modification of neuroendocrine functions. Other than that, taurine administration in regular doses is reported by different articles and institutions to be safe.