Valine is an aliphatic and extremely hydrophobic essential amino acid related to leucine. Valine is found in many proteins, mainly in the interior of globular proteins, and helps determine the three-dimensional structure. Valine is a glycogen amino acid that supports mental vitality, muscle coordination and emotional calm. Valine is obtained from soybeans, cheese, fish, meat and vegetables. Valine supplements are used for muscle growth, tissue repair and energy. (NCI04)
NCI Thesaurus (NCIt) valine structure
L-valine is the left-handed enantiomer of valine. It has functions as a nutraceutical, micronutrient, human metabolite, algal metabolite, Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolite, E. coli metabolite, and mouse metabolite. It is a pyruvate family amino acid, a proteinogenic amino acid, a valine and an L-alpha-amino acid. It is the conjugate base of L-valine. It is the conjugate acid of L-valine. It is the enantiomer of D-valine. It is a tautomer of the L-valine zwitterion.
Chelby
Valine (abbreviated Val or V) is an amino acid with the chemical formula HO2CCH(NH2)CH(CH3)2. It is named after the plant valerian. L-Valine is one of 20 proteinogenic amino acids. Its codons are GUU, GUC, GUA and GUG. This essential amino acid is classified as a non-polar amino acid. Along with leucine and isoleucine, valine is a branched-chain amino acid. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are essential amino acids whose carbon structures are marked by branch points. These three amino acids are essential to human life, especially in relation to stress, energy and muscle metabolism. BCAA supplementation as oral and intravenous therapy holds great promise for human health and disease. BCAA stands for Valine, Isoleucine and Leucine, which are branched-chain essential amino acids. Although their structures are similar, BCAAs have different metabolic pathways, with valine going only to carbohydrates, leucine only going to fats, and isoleucine going to both. Different metabolisms lead to different body requirements for these essential amino acids: 12 mg/kg, 14 mg/kg, and 16 mg/kg for valine, leucine, and isoleucine, respectively. Furthermore, these amino acids have different deficiency symptoms. Valine deficiency is characterized by neurological deficits in the brain, while isoleucine deficiency is characterized by muscle tremors. Many types of inborn errors of BCAA metabolism exist and are characterized by various abnormalities. The most common form is maple syrup urine disease, which is characterized by a characteristic odor of urine. Other abnormalities are associated with a wide range of symptoms, such as mental retardation, ataxia, hypoglycemia, spinal muscular atrophy, rash, vomiting, and excessive muscle movement. Errors in most forms of BCAA metabolism can be corrected by dietary restriction of BCAAs, at least one form can be corrected by supplementation with 10 mg of biotin per day. BCAAs are reduced in patients with liver disease such as hepatitis, hepatic coma, cirrhosis, extrahepatic biliary atresia, or portocaval shunt; under these conditions, the aromatic amino acids (AAAs) tyrosine, tryptophan, and phenylalanine and methionine will increase. Valine, in particular, has been established as a useful complementary therapy for diseased livers. All BCAAs may compete with AAAs for uptake into the brain. Supplemental BCAAs with vitamin B6 and zinc help normalize the BCAA:AAA ratio. In sickle cell disease, valine replaces the hydrophilic amino acid glutamic acid in hemoglobin. Because valine is hydrophobic, hemoglobin cannot fold properly. Valine is an essential amino acid and therefore must be ingested, usually as a building block of protein.
