{
  "slug": "pqq",
  "name": "Pyrroloquinoline Quinone (PQQ)",
  "alternate_names": [
    "PQQ",
    "Pyrroloquinoline Quinone",
    "PQQ disodium salt (PQQ·2Na)",
    "Methoxatin",
    "BioPQQ® (Mitsubishi Gas Chemical branded grade)"
  ],
  "mechanism": [
    "Redox cofactor / radical scavenging (high-turnover quinone, ~20,000 cycles in vitro)",
    "PGC-1α / NRF1 / TFAM signaling → mitochondrial biogenesis (in vitro + animal; limited direct human data)",
    "NRF2 antioxidant pathway activation",
    "Autophagy / mitophagy modulation"
  ],
  "target": [
    "PGC-1α",
    "NRF1",
    "TFAM",
    "CRP",
    "IL-6",
    "8-OHdG (urinary oxidative DNA damage marker)"
  ],
  "use_case": [
    "Cognitive / brain health (research context · Tamakoshi 2023, Shiojima 2022)",
    "Longevity (mechanistic narrative)",
    "Antioxidant (CRP/IL-6/8-OHdG markers · research context)",
    "Energy / anti-fatigue (mechanistic narrative · no direct human RCT)",
    "Heart health (preliminary / animal · research context)"
  ],
  "body_system": [
    "MITO",
    "NEURO",
    "CARDIO",
    "CELL",
    "SLEEP"
  ],
  "evidence_tier": "B",
  "evidence_anchor_pmid_count": 3,
  "dosage_range": "10-20 mg/day PQQ disodium salt (cognition RCTs 20 mg/day; market regulatory caps ≤20 mg/day in CN/EU). Japanese MGC safety tolerance ≤60 mg/day × 4 wk. CoQ10 co-administration studied at PQQ 20 mg + CoQ10 300 mg/day.",
  "safety_notes": "Generally well tolerated at studied doses (20 mg/day); rare reports of headache or mild GI discomfort. BioPQQ® disodium salt completed acute (rat oral LD50 >1000 mg/kg), genotoxicity (Ames negative), and 90-day repeat-dose (rat NOAEL 100 mg/kg/d) assessments. NOT recommended in pregnancy/lactation or under-18s (insufficient data; EU 2018/1122 mandates \"not for pregnant/breastfeeding women or under-18s\" labeling). Generic non-disodium-salt PQQ grades cannot inherit BioPQQ® safety data. Caution with immunosuppressants; CoQ10 co-use carries theoretical warfarin interaction.",
  "regulatory": {
    "fda": "FDA GRAS · no-questions notices exist for PQQ disodium salt (e.g. GRN 641, 701, 709), max 20 mg/day. DSHEA dietary supplement; structure/function claims permitted with mandatory FDA disclaimer. No authorized health claim or qualified health claim. each GRAS notice covers a specific manufacturer grade — generic PQQ not auto-covered.",
    "efsa": "Authorized Novel Food · Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1122 (PQQ disodium salt, generic authorisation), food supplements ≤20 mg/day adults ≥18. EFSA has authorized NO PQQ health claim (Art 13 / 13.5 / 14 all empty). Mandatory label: not for under-18s / pregnant / breastfeeding women.",
    "anvisa": "Not on approved supplement-ingredient lists (not in IN 28/2018); no domestic compliant route. Would require RDC 839/2023 new-ingredient evaluation (est. 12-24 months). No ANVISA-authorized functional claim."
  },
  "authorized_claims": [],
  "ingredient_hub_url": "https://asxan.ai/ingredients/pqq/",
  "related_goal_slugs": [
    "cognitive-support",
    "longevity-stack"
  ],
  "related_lifestyle_slugs": [
    "senior-60-plus"
  ],
  "last_evidence_review": "2026-06-13",
  "schema_version": "nc-public-v0.2",
  "api_version": "nc-public-v0.3",
  "_meta": {
    "last_evidence_review": "2026-06-13",
    "ip_axes_disclosed": {
      "public_axes": [
        "mechanism",
        "target",
        "use_case",
        "body_system",
        "evidence_tier",
        "dosage_range",
        "safety_notes",
        "regulatory",
        "authorized_claims"
      ],
      "ip_axes_not_exposed": [
        "proprietary_formula_ratios",
        "clinical_protocol_internals",
        "rnd_pipeline_compounds",
        "supplier_specific_grade_specifications",
        "unpublished_endpoint_data"
      ],
      "rationale": "asxan.ai surfaces the educational, evidence-tier-disclosed slice. Formula composition, clinical-protocol internals, and RnD pipeline data are intentionally outside this public surface."
    }
  }
}