---
title: "PQQ (Pyrroloquinoline Quinone) — Evidence, Benefits & Where… | Magellan"
description: "PQQ (Pyrroloquinoline Quinone) — Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ, also called methoxatin) is a redox-active o-quinone compound found naturally in soil, in…"
url: "https://magellanlongevity.com/p/122.md"
canonical: "https://magellanlongevity.com/p/122.html"
html: "https://magellanlongevity.com/p/122.html"
type: "product"
section: "Nutraceuticals & Cellular Energizers"
evidence_grade: "Moderate evidence"
evidence_tier: "moderate"
citations: 23
product_id: 122
price_usd: 17.94
updated: 2026-09-02
author: "Gabriel Radu, DO"
author_credentials: "Physiatrist (PM&R). NY medical license 275110. NPI 1376861765."
publisher: "Magellan Longevity"
content_format: "markdown"
license: "Educational content — not medical advice"
---

# PQQ (Pyrroloquinoline Quinone)

[Home](https://magellanlongevity.com/) › [Nutraceuticals & Cellular Energizers](https://magellanlongevity.com/c/1.md) › PQQ (Pyrroloquinoline Quinone)

**HTML version:** https://magellanlongevity.com/p/122.html · **In the Magellan app:** https://magellanlongevity.com/#/product/122

## Key facts

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Product | PQQ (Pyrroloquinoline Quinone) |
| Category | [Nutraceuticals & Cellular Energizers](https://magellanlongevity.com/c/1.md) |
| Evidence grade | Moderate evidence (B) |
| Peer-reviewed citations | 23 |
| Typical listed price | $17.94 (check the live price) |
| Where to buy | [Search Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=PQQ%20%28Pyrroloquinoline%20Quinone%29&tag=magellanlong-20) |
| Catalog ID | 122 |

## What it is

Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ, also called methoxatin) is a redox-active o-quinone compound found naturally in soil, in foods such as fermented soybeans (natto), spinach, kiwi, green pepper, parsley and green tea, and in human breast milk. It functions as an antioxidant and enzyme cofactor, and in cell and animal studies it stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis by activating signaling pathways including CREB, PGC-1α and SIRT1. Some researchers have described it as a candidate "longevity vitamin."

## Its role in longevity

In human aging and health, PQQ is studied mainly for cognitive function, mitochondrial and energy support, antioxidant activity, and blood-lipid markers. Several small randomized trials (roughly 30–60 participants, up to 12 weeks, about 20 mg/day) report improved memory, attention and cognitive flexibility in middle-aged, older and even younger adults, one with near-infrared evidence of increased prefrontal blood flow; a six-week trial in older adults with mild cognitive decline raised serum BDNF and cerebral oxygen saturation (about 48% to 53%), and a separate trial modestly lowered LDL cholesterol in people with high-normal levels. The caveats matter: the trials are small, short and largely Japanese and manufacturer-linked, the celebrated mitochondrial-biogenesis mechanism is demonstrated mainly in cells and rodents, and no large independent trials or hard clinical endpoints exist. On mechanism, two recent papers sharpen how PQQ may act at the molecular level: it binds lactate dehydrogenase and shifts the NADH/NAD+ balance toward NAD+ (Scientific Reports, 2016), and it selectively activates the metabolite-sensing receptor GPR35 as a food-derived agonist (Biochemistry, 2025) — both processes relevant to mitochondrial biogenesis, and both still preclinical. This evidence describes the PQQ compound and its mechanisms, not this specific commercial product.

## Evidence grade: Moderate evidence

- **What the grade means:** Curated grade based on the human and mechanistic evidence for this compound.
- **Dose used in studies:** ~20 mg/day in trials (up to 12 weeks)
- **What this grade does not say:** Several small, short randomized trials (roughly 30–60 people, up to 12 weeks) report better memory, attention and cerebral oxygenation at about 20 mg/day, with good tolerability. But the trials are largely Japanese and manufacturer-linked, the mitochondrial-biogenesis mechanism is shown mainly in cells and animals, and there are no large independent trials or hard clinical endpoints. Promising early human evidence, not proven anti-aging efficacy.

## Where it comes from without a bottle

Food, exercise and behaviour routes to the same pathway, each with its citation.

| Natural source | How it works | Citation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Natto, parsley, green tea & fermented foods | PQQ isn't made by the human body, but it's widely distributed in foods - highest in fermented soy (natto), plus parsley, green tea, green peppers, kiwi, and other plants. A varied plant-and-fermented-food diet supplies the trace daily PQQ; supplements concentrate it. | Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry 2015 [PMID 26168402](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26168402/) |
| Human/animal milk (natural PQQ baseline) | PQQ occurs naturally even in human milk at nanomolar-to-micromolar levels, evidence it's a normal trace dietary factor rather than a purely synthetic compound. Whole foods supply small but real amounts; you'd choose a supplement only to reach the higher doses tested in studies. | Analytical Biochemistry 1999 [PMID 10222004](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10222004/) |

### What those papers actually say

1. **Natto, parsley, green tea & fermented foods**
   Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry 2015 · [PMID 26168402](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26168402/) · [DOI 10.1080/09168451.2015.1062715](https://doi.org/10.1080/09168451.2015.1062715)

   > Trace amounts of PQQ have been found in human and rat tissues because of its wide distribution in dietary sources.

2. **Human/animal milk (natural PQQ baseline)**
   Analytical Biochemistry 1999 · [PMID 10222004](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10222004/) · [DOI 10.1006/abio.1999.4039](https://doi.org/10.1006/abio.1999.4039)

   > We demonstrate the presence of both PQQ and IPQ in human milk in nanomolar to micromolar concentrations.

## In the news

- **Do PQQ Supplements Have Health Benefits?** — Healthline 2020 [Read it](https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/pqq-supplement)
  > Still, a small, 8-week study in 17 people found that taking 20 mg of PQQ daily resulted in significant self-reported improvements in sleep quality and fatigue.
- **What Should You Know About PQQ Supplements?** — WebMD 2025 [Read it](https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/what-to-know-about-pqq-supplements)
  > Data from animal studies shows that PQQ helps make more mitochondria. But there is limited research on humans.
- **A behind-the-scenes look at the longevity vitamin PQQ** — University of California, Berkeley (College of Chemistry) 2020 [Read it](https://chemistry.berkeley.edu/news/behind-scenes-look-longevity-vitamin-pqq)
  > Studies have shown that longevity vitamins, such as PQQ, may lower the risk of disease during aging, possibly via stimulating important cellular activities.

## The research

Peer-reviewed studies on the active compound. Quotes are verbatim from the cited abstract. Research describes the active mechanism and is not a claim about this specific product.

### Cited studies

1. **Evidence: promotes mitochondrial biogenesis**
   Pulm Pharmacol Ther 2022 · [PMID 36030026](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36030026/) · [DOI 10.1016/j.pupt.2022.102156](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pupt.2022.102156)

   > PQQ is known to promote mitochondrial biogenesis and improved mitochondrial bioenergetics

2. **Effect of Dietary Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Disodium Salt on Cognitive Function in Healthy Volunteers**
   J Am Nutr Assoc 2021 · [PMID 34415830](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34415830/) · [DOI 10.1080/07315724.2021.1962770](https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2021.1962770)

   > PQQ improves diverse functions which include mitochondrial activation, growth, repair

3. **The impact of six-week dihydrogen-pyrroloquinoline quinone supplementation on mitochondrial biomarkers, brain metabolism, and cognition in elderly individuals with mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial.**
   J Nutr Health Aging 2024 · [PMID 38908296](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38908296/) · [DOI 10.1016/j.jnha.2024.100287](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnha.2024.100287)

   > Dihydrogen-PQQ resulted in a significant elevation in serum BDNF levels at the six-week follow-up (P = 0.01); conversely, no changes in BDNF levels were observed in the placebo group throughout the study duration (P = 0.27).

4. **Pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium salt improves brain function in both younger and older adults.**
   Food Funct 2023 · [PMID 36807425](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36807425/) · [DOI 10.1039/d2fo01515c](https://doi.org/10.1039/d2fo01515c)

   > In younger adults (aged 20-40 years), PQQ improved cognitive function (cognitive flexibility, processing speed, and execution speed) after 8 weeks. Only older adults (aged 41-65 years) showed improvements in complex and verbal memory after 12 weeks.

5. **Effect of the Antioxidant Supplement Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Disodium Salt (BioPQQ™) on Cognitive Functions.**
   Adv Exp Med Biol 2016 · [PMID 26782228](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26782228/) · [DOI 10.1007/978-1-4939-3023-4_40](https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3023-4_40)

   > The results suggest that PQQ can prevent reduction of brain function in aged persons, especially in attention and working memory.

6. **Effects of Antioxidant Supplements (BioPQQ™) on Cerebral Blood Flow and Oxygen Metabolism in the Prefrontal Cortex.**
   Adv Exp Med Biol 2016 · [PMID 27526146](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27526146/) · [DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-38810-6_29](https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-38810-6_29)

   > These results suggest that PQQ causes increased activity in the right PFC associated with increases in rCBF and oxygen metabolism, resulting in enhanced cognitive function.

7. **Effects of Pyrroloquinoline Quinone (PQQ) Supplementation on Aerobic Exercise Performance and Indices of Mitochondrial Biogenesis in Untrained Men.**
   J Am Coll Nutr 2019 · [PMID 31860387](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31860387/) · [DOI 10.1080/07315724.2019.1705203](https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2019.1705203)

   > Supplementation of PQQ does not appear to elicit any ergogenic effects regarding aerobic performance or body composition but appears to impact mitochondrial biogenesis by way of significant elevations in PGC-1α protein content.

8. **The effects of pyrroloquinoline quinone and nicotinamide mononucleotide supplementation on interoception following acute exhaustive exercise: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.**
   Sci Rep 2026 · [PMID 41651893](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41651893/) · [DOI 10.1038/s41598-025-34191-0](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-34191-0)

   > Body listening was the only domain that demonstrated a significant group × time interaction (p = 0.016), with the PQQ group showing significant improvement (p < 0.001).

9. **Effects of Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Disodium Salt Intake on the Serum Cholesterol Levels of Healthy Japanese Adults.**
   J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 2015 · [PMID 26226960](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26226960/) · [DOI 10.3177/jnsv.61.233](https://doi.org/10.3177/jnsv.61.233)

   > In the stratification analysis of the high LDL-chol subgroup (baseline LDL-chol level ≥140 mg/dL), the mean LDL-chol levels decreased significantly from the baseline values in the PQQ group compared to the placebo group.

10. **Consumption of Sylimarin, Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Sodium Salt and Myricetin: Effects on Alcohol Levels and Markers of Oxidative Stress-A Pilot Study.**
    Nutrients 2024 · [PMID 39275279](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39275279/) · [DOI 10.3390/nu16172965](https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16172965)

    > Changes in oxidative stress biomarkers, particularly a TAC (range +9-12%) increase and an 8-isoprostane (marker of lipidic peroxidation) decrease (range -22-27%), were observed too.

11. **The effects of pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium salt on brain function and physiological processes.**
    J Med Invest 2024 · [PMID 38735721](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38735721/) · [DOI 10.2152/jmi.71.23](https://doi.org/10.2152/jmi.71.23)

    > PQQ has redox properties and exerts antioxidant, neuroprotective, and mitochondrial biogenesis effects.

12. **Mechanisms Behind Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Supplementation on Skeletal Muscle Mitochondrial Biogenesis: Possible Synergistic Effects with Exercise.**
    J Am Coll Nutr 2018 · [PMID 29714638](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29714638/) · [DOI 10.1080/07315724.2018.1461146](https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2018.1461146)

    > There is emerging evidence to support that PQQ supplementation can upregulate the molecular signaling responses indicative of mitochondrial biogenesis within skeletal muscle.

13. **Pyrroloquinoline quinone stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis through cAMP response element-binding protein phosphorylation and increased PGC-1alpha expression.**
    J Biol Chem 2009 · [PMID 19861415](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19861415/) · [DOI 10.1074/jbc.M109.030130](https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M109.030130)

    > The induction of this process occurred through the activation of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1alpha), a pathway known to regulate mitochondrial biogenesis.

14. **Pyrroloquinoline Quinone, a Redox-Active o-Quinone, Stimulates Mitochondrial Biogenesis by Activating the SIRT1/PGC-1α Signaling Pathway.**
    Biochemistry 2017 · [PMID 29185343](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29185343/) · [DOI 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b01185](https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biochem.7b01185)

    > The exposure of NIH/3T3 cells to 10-100 nM PQQ for 48 h resulted in increased levels of Mitotracker staining, mitochondrial DNA content, and mitochondrially encoded cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (MTCO1) protein.

15. **Altering pyrroloquinoline quinone nutritional status modulates mitochondrial, lipid, and energy metabolism in rats.**
    PLoS One 2011 · [PMID 21814553](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21814553/) · [DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0021779](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0021779)

    > Collectively, these data demonstrate that PQQ deficiency impacts a number of parameters related to normal mitochondrial function.

16. **Pyrroloquinoline quinone prevents knee osteoarthritis by inhibiting oxidative stress and chondrocyte senescence.**
    Am J Transl Res 2019 · [PMID 30972174](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30972174/)

    > This study demonstrated that PQQ supplementation can prevent ACLT-induced OA by inhibiting oxidative stress, DNA damage, cell senescence and the development of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype.

17. **PQQ ameliorates D-galactose induced cognitive impairments by reducing glutamate neurotoxicity via the GSK-3β/Akt signaling pathway in mouse.**
    Sci Rep 2018 · [PMID 29891841](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29891841/) · [DOI 10.1038/s41598-018-26962-9](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-26962-9)

    > D-gal-induced mouse showed increased MDA and ROS levels, and decreased T-AOC activities in the hippocampus, these changes were reversed by PQQ supplementation.

18. **Mitochondrial regulation by pyrroloquinoline quinone prevents rotenone-induced neurotoxicity in Parkinson's disease models.**
    Neurosci Lett 2018 · [PMID 30240821](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30240821/) · [DOI 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.09.031](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2018.09.031)

    > Our findings indicated that PQQ could prevent mitochondrial dysfunction by promoting mitochondrial biogenesis and regulating mitochondrial fission and fusion, which might contribute to its neuroprotective effect in PD models.

19. **A role for the antioxidants coenzyme Q10 and pyrroloquinoline quinone in mitigating obesity-associated reproductive dysfunction**
    Biol Reprod 2026 · [PMID 40810470](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40810470/) · [DOI 10.1093/biolre/ioaf185](https://doi.org/10.1093/biolre/ioaf185)

    > Pyrroloquinoline quinone enhances mitochondrial biogenesis, regulates fatty acid metabolism, and ameliorates inflammation, with preclinical studies showing improved fertility and pregnancy rates, as well as protective effects against the development of adult metabolic diseases in offspring of pregnancies complicated with obesity.

20. **Maternal Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Supplementation Improves Offspring Liver Bioactive Lipid Profiles throughout the Lifespan and Protects against the Development of Adult NAFLD**
    Int J Mol Sci 2022 · [PMID 35682720](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35682720/) · [DOI 10.3390/ijms23116043](https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23116043)

    > Our findings suggest that PQQ supplementation during gestation and lactation augments pathways involved in the biosynthesis of long-chain fatty acids and plays a unique role in modifying specific bioactive lipid species critical for protection against NAFLD risk in later life.

21. **Thirty days of supplementation with PQQ reprograms immunometabolic networks in Western diet-fed female baboons**
    bioRxiv (preprint) 2026 · [PMID 41726957](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41726957/) · [DOI 10.64898/2026.02.12.705540](https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.02.12.705540)

    > Preprint, not yet peer-reviewed: PQQ rapidly reprograms systemic immunometabolic networks in a nonhuman primate model of diet-induced metabolic stress — 30 days at a human-equivalent dose lowered C-reactive protein, soluble CD163 and atherogenic lipoprotein fractions in Western diet-fed female baboons.

22. **Identification of lactate dehydrogenase as a mammalian pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ)-binding protein**
    Sci Rep 2016 · [PMID 27230956](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27230956/) · [DOI 10.1038/srep26723](https://doi.org/10.1038/srep26723)

    > Our results suggest that PQQ, modulating LDH activity to facilitate pyruvate formation through its redox-cycling activity, may be involved in the enhanced energy production via mitochondrial TCA cycle and oxidative phosphorylation.

23. **Structural and Functional Basis of G Protein-Coupled Receptor 35 Activation by Pyrroloquinoline Quinone**
    Biochemistry 2025 · [PMID 41269875](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41269875/) · [DOI 10.1021/acs.biochem.5c00566](https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biochem.5c00566)

    > These findings indicate that PQQ functions as a food-derived agonist of GPR35 and provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the potential beneficial effects of PQQ.

## Where to buy

[Search Amazon for PQQ (Pyrroloquinoline Quinone)](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=PQQ%20%28Pyrroloquinoline%20Quinone%29&tag=magellanlong-20) — affiliate search link.

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## Scope and disclosures

Educational information, not medical advice. Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Talk to your physician before starting any supplement or device, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medication.

Editorial firewall: evidence grades are assigned from the published research and are independent of any affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate, Magellan Longevity earns from qualifying purchases.

Reviewed for accuracy by a board-certified physician (DO).