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Article: Phosphatidylcholine. (Monograph).
- Article from:
- Alternative Medicine Review
- Article date:
- April 1, 2002
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Thorne Research Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Introduction
Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is a phospholipid, one of a primal class of substances ubiquitous among life forms. (1) PC is the predominant phospholipid of all cell membranes and of the circulating blood lipoproteins. It is the main functional constituent of the natural surfactants, and the body's foremost reservoir of choline, an essential nutrient. (2) PC is a normal constituent of the bile that facilitates fat emulsification, absorption, and transport, and is recycled via enterohepatic circulation.
Until recently the nomenclature of PC was confused with lecithin, a complex mixture of phospholipids and other lipids. Lecithin preparations ...