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AAT Bioquest

What are the products of beta-oxidation?

Posted October 23, 2023


Answer

Each beta oxidation cycle yields one FAD2H molecule, one NADH molecule, one acetyl-CoA molecule, a fatty acyl CoA which is 2 carbons shorter, H+, as well as large quantities of water. Only one of each of these molecules are generated per round of beta-oxidation each fatty acid undergoes. Acetyl-CoA enters the Krebs cycle to produce 12 ATP through oxidative phosphorylation. NADPH and FAD2H are oxidized in the electron transport chain, and  generate 3 and 2 ATP molecules respectively. Thus, the beta oxidation cycle yields a maximum theoretical yield of 17 ATP after the cycle is complete.     

Additional resources

IX. Mitochondrial beta-oxidation

NAD/NADH and NADP/NADPH

Screen Quest™ Fluorimetric Fatty Acid Uptake Assay Kit