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Vitamins & vitamin-like compounds

Pyrroloquinoline quinone

Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ)

PQQ is a vitamin-like compound studied mainly as PQQ disodium salt. Small repeated-use trials report some memory-test benefits, but do not establish broad cognitive or longevity effects. Compare the exact ingredient, labeled PQQ amount, and supplement-grade status before price.

Attention SupportMemory SupportCellular SupportMitochondrial SupportAntioxidant PathwaysIsolated CompoundBranded Ingredient
Updated October 2026/5 min read/11 citations
Reviewed by the NootropicsIndex editorial team.Method: prioritize cited human research and official safety or regulatory sources; compare retailer-listed prices without endorsing products.Affiliate disclosure
Extra caution

Who should avoid this or get expert review first

This is not a recommendation to use. These groups should treat the profile as a reason to slow down and verify safety, rules, and personal context.

  • Outside the assessed adult population2Children, pregnant people, and breastfeeding people were excluded from the intended supplement population in the EFSA assessment.
01

What is it?

What PQQ is

1

PQQ is a compound involved in electron-transfer chemistry. The free compound and its disodium salt are distinct chemical forms; most supplement trials concern the disodium salt. The identity aliases here include free-PQQ chemical identifiers.

02

Names, aliases and forms

AbbreviationPQQ
Salt FormPyrroloquinoline quinone disodium salt
Common NamesMethoxatin; Coenzyme PQQ
Iupac Name4,5-dioxo-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-f]quinoline-2,7,9-tricarboxylic acid
Molecular FormulaC14H6N2O8
InchikeyMMXZSJMASHPLLR-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Pubchem Cid1024
Cas Number72909-34-3
Trade NamesBioPQQ; mnemoPQQ
03

Mechanisms of action

Redox and mitochondrial rationale

2

PQQ participates in redox chemistry and is often marketed around antioxidant and mitochondrial pathways. Those mechanisms make PQQ biologically plausible, but they should not be read as proof of sharper day-to-day cognition.

How broad are the cognitive findings?

10

A 2023 placebo-controlled trial reported selected memory improvements, with different findings across age subgroups. This broadens the populations studied but does not establish reliable everyday productivity gains.

04

Potential effects and evidence map

Small randomized trials of PQQ disodium salt report improvements on selected cognitive tests. A 2023 trial also included younger adults, with differing results by age and assessment time. Product-specific studies, industry involvement, and uncertain real-world relevance limit confidence; mitochondrial mechanisms are not proof of longevity benefits.

Effect domainMagnitudeGrade
Memory / learning3
CumulativeConfidence: Medium

May support memory-related test scores in older healthy adults after 12 weeks, but the evidence base is still small.

Note Best-supported human signal comes from small 12-week studies using PQQ disodium salt around 20 mg/day.

2/5
C
Focus / attention4
CumulativeConfidence: Low

May improve attention-related test performance in older healthy adults after repeated daily use.

Note The 2016 BioPQQ study reported Stroop-related benefits, but replication and generalizability remain limited.

2/5
C
Cellular / long-term brain support2
CumulativeConfidence: Low

Mechanistic rationale is stronger than proven long-term brain outcome evidence.

Note Mitochondrial and redox mechanisms provide biological plausibility, but do not establish durable cognitive benefits.

1/5
D
05

Typical dosages and timing

Typical
20-21.5 mg/day
Not a recommendation
Lower bound
20 mg
Profile value
Upper bound
21.5 mg
Profile value
Typical study dose320 mg/day

This is the dose used in several cognition trials. A separate mnemoPQQ study used 21.5 mg/day of the disodium salt. These are trial protocols, not evidence that higher amounts work better or a personal dosing recommendation.

06

Timing & effect horizon

Effect horizonCumulative
Cumulative
Study window3Cumulative
12 weeks
Trial window3

The featured window is a trial duration, not a recommended cycle. A dependable immediate onset, single-dose effect duration, or consumer-use The time for blood levels to fall by half during the final elimination phase.Source has not been established by these cognition studies.

07

Safety, side effects and risk profile

What the minimal risk rating covers2
The rating covers supplement-grade PQQ disodium salt at 20 mg daily for about three months in generally healthy adults. EFSA found its evaluated BioPQQ ingredient safe under specified conditions. This does not extend to research powders, higher doses, or indefinite use.
Pregnancy / lactation caution2
Confidence: Medium

EFSA's intended-use assessment excluded pregnant and lactating women.

Note Excluded population; this does not establish harm or raise the healthy-adult base rating.

1/5
C
Liver / kidney caution2
Confidence: Medium

Human trials at supplement doses were reassuring but not designed to fully assess renal function; high-dose rat work included reversible kidney findings.

Note Animal high-dose findings do not demonstrate kidney injury from ordinary supplement use. Kidney disease lies outside the assessed healthy-adult population.

1/5
C
Evidence uncertainty3
Confidence: Medium

Human cognition trials are small and mostly branded-ingredient studies.

Note This limits confidence in broad nootropic claims, especially outside older healthy Japanese study populations.

1/5
C
Short-term adult data3Generally well tolerated

Published PQQ trials did not show a clear adverse-event pattern at studied doses, but the human dataset is still small.

Kidney context2High-dose animal signal

Kidney findings occurred at much higher exposures in rat studies. Human renal monitoring and long-term data remain limited; the healthy-adult assessment does not establish safety with kidney disease.

08

Interactions and cautions

Interaction evidence is limited2

The cited trials and safety assessment do not establish a reliable clinical interaction profile for medication combinations. Absence of an identified interaction is not evidence that every combination is safe.

09

Legal and regulatory status

EU supplement conditions11

As of October 2026, EU Regulation 2018/1122 authorizes specification-compliant PQQ disodium salt in adult food supplements at up to 20 mg/day, excluding pregnancy and lactation. This is a defined ingredient authorization, not approval of cognitive claims or every retail product; other markets have separate rules.

10

Practical buying and quality notes

  • BioPQQ and mnemoPQQ identify trial ingredients, not interchangeable guarantees for every product. Check the disodium salt identity and labeled PQQ amount separately from blend mass. A research-use-only powder is not a food supplement and its price does not establish suitability for consumption.2
  • Compare package price divided by total labeled PQQ milligrams, using the same ingredient basis. For example, 60 capsules labeled 10 mg each and 30 labeled 20 mg each both contain 600 mg. Include shipping and distinguish supplement products from research materials.2
11

FAQ

Is PQQ a vitamin?

2

No. PQQ is often described as vitamin-like, but it is not established as an essential human vitamin. It is a supplement ingredient with limited human trial evidence.

What PQQ dose is best supported?

4

The dosage summary reflects common cognition-trial protocols. An optimal dose has not been established: convincing dose-response comparisons are lacking, and a brand or blend can differ from the tested ingredient.

How long does PQQ take, and should it be cycled?

3

Cognition research evaluates repeated use over weeks. Trial length is not proof of effect onset, persistence after stopping, or a useful on/off cycle. An evidence-based cycling schedule has not been established.

Is PQQ the same as CoQ10?

1

No. Both are quinone-related supplement ingredients, but PQQ is a different compound with separate evidence, dose ranges, and product labels.

12

References

  1. PubChem. Pyrroloquinoline quinone, CID 1024. Accessed 2026-06-30.
  2. EFSA NDA Panel. Safety of pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium salt as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 258/97. EFSA Journal. 2017;15(11):5058.
  3. Shiojima Y, et al. Effect of dietary pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium salt on cognitive function in healthy volunteers: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study. Journal of the American Nutrition Association. 2022;41(8):796-809.
  4. Itoh Y, et al. Effect of the antioxidant supplement pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium salt (BioPQQ) on cognitive functions. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. 2016;876:319-325.
  5. Nakano M, et al. Effects of antioxidant supplements (BioPQQ) on cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism in the prefrontal cortex. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. 2016;923:215-222.
  6. Nakano M, et al. Effects of pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium salt intake on the serum cholesterol levels of healthy Japanese adults. Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology. 2015;61(3):233-240.
  7. Nakano M, et al. Acute and subchronic toxicity studies of pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) disodium salt (BioPQQ) in rats. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology. 2014;70(1):107-121.
  8. Kumazawa T, et al. Genotoxicity of pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) disodium salt (BioPQQ). Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology. 2013;67(2):189-197.
  9. Safety assessment of a novel dietary pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium salt (mnemoPQQ). Toxicology Mechanisms and Methods. 2022;32(9):694-705.
  10. Tamakoshi M, et al. Pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium salt improves brain function in both younger and older adults. Food & Function. 2023;14:2496-2501.
  11. European Commission. Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1122. PQQ disodium salt novel-food authorization. Checked 2026-10-15.
Note

This page is informational and summarizes available evidence. It is not medical advice, a recommendation, or a substitute for guidance from a qualified clinician.