The Identity of “Chromium Malate”

Megan Smart; Silas Brown; Haley Tannehill; Molly Lockart; Michael K. Bowman; John B. Vincent

doi:10.1007/s12011-017-1046-7

The Identity of “Chromium Malate”

Megan Smart, Silas Brown, Haley Tannehill, Molly Lockart, Michael K. Bowman, John B. Vincent

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Recently, several studies on the effects of a compound named “chromium malate,” with the proposed formula “Cr₂malate₃·xH₂O” where x = 3.5 or 5, on the health of healthy and diabetic rats have appeared. However, the compound is poorly characterized, and knowing the identity of this material could be important in the interpretation of the previous and of future studies on the effects of this compound in animals. Consequently, the synthesis, characterization, and identity of this material were explored. A combination of spectroscopic, magnetic, and elemental analyses and mass spectral studies reveal that the compound is probably a polymer, not a discrete molecule, and does not have the composition previously reported. The repeating unit of the polymer possesses an antiferromagnetically coupled trinuclear Cr(III) core. The current study suggests that previous reports on chromium malate and its effects in animals must be viewed with caution.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	369-377
Number of pages	9
Journal	Biological Trace Element Research
Volume	181
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-017-1046-7
State	Published - Feb 1 2018
Externally published	Yes

Funding

The authors wish to thank Dr. Ken Belmore and Dr. Qiaoli Liang for their assistance with the NMR and mass spectral studies, respectively. Funding was provided as part of a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) award (CHE 1358971) to J.B.V. and Stephen A. Woski. The authors have no conflicts of interest. J.B.V. is an inventor or co-inventor on seven patents involving the synthesis or use of chromium-containing peptide or chromium compounds as nutritional supplements or pharmacological agents. None of the patents are currently licensed, and the patent holder, The University of Alabama, is neither producing nor selling these materials for commercial use. Acknowledgements The authors wish to thank Dr. Ken Belmore and Dr. Qiaoli Liang for their assistance with the NMR and mass spectral studies, respectively. Funding was provided as part of a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) award (CHE 1358971) to J.B.V. and Stephen A. Woski.

Funders	Funder number
National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates
National Science Foundation	1358971
University of Alabama
ReumaNederland	CHE 1358971

Keywords

Chromium
Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy
Electronic spectroscopy
Malate
Synthesis

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10.1007/s12011-017-1046-7

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title = "The Identity of “Chromium Malate”",

abstract = "Recently, several studies on the effects of a compound named “chromium malate,” with the proposed formula “Cr2malate3·xH2O” where x = 3.5 or 5, on the health of healthy and diabetic rats have appeared. However, the compound is poorly characterized, and knowing the identity of this material could be important in the interpretation of the previous and of future studies on the effects of this compound in animals. Consequently, the synthesis, characterization, and identity of this material were explored. A combination of spectroscopic, magnetic, and elemental analyses and mass spectral studies reveal that the compound is probably a polymer, not a discrete molecule, and does not have the composition previously reported. The repeating unit of the polymer possesses an antiferromagnetically coupled trinuclear Cr(III) core. The current study suggests that previous reports on chromium malate and its effects in animals must be viewed with caution.",

keywords = "Chromium, Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, Electronic spectroscopy, Malate, Synthesis",

author = "Megan Smart and Silas Brown and Haley Tannehill and Molly Lockart and Bowman, {Michael K.} and Vincent, {John B.}",

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AU - Brown, Silas

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AU - Lockart, Molly

AU - Bowman, Michael K.

AU - Vincent, John B.

PY - 2018/2/1

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KW - Synthesis

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The Identity of “Chromium Malate”

Abstract

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Keywords

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