menaquinone
Noun
Meaning
menaquinone (plural menaquinones)
(biochemistry, pharmacology) A pale yellow crystalline naphthoquinone C41H56O2 that is obtained especially from putrefied fish meal and produced by bacteria in the large intestine and essential for the blood-clotting process. It is much more unsaturated than vitamin K1 and slightly less active biologically, and is an isoprenoid derivative of menadione.
Synonyms
Related terms
Examples
Osteoporosis citation citation and coronary heart disease citation citation are strongly associated with lower levels of K 2 (menaquinone).
The menaquinone, with the help of another enzyme, then transfers these two electrons to a suitable oxidant, such fumarate or nitrate (also called an electron acceptor).