<span lang="EN-CA">Creatine Chemistry: Physicochemical Properties, Bioenergetic Mechanisms, Analytical Characterization, and Translational Applications

Creatine (N-aminoiminomethyl-N-methylglycine) is a vital endogenous guanidino compound that serves as a cornerstone of cellular bioenergetics, maintaining adenosine triphosphate (ATP) homeostasis via the reversible creatine kinase reaction. While historically classified strictly as an ergogenic aid within sports nutrition, contemporary chemical research characterizes creatine as a highly versatile, pleiotropic bioactive molecule operating at the intersection of bioenergetics, cellular physiology, analytical characterization, and translational medicine. This comprehensive review delivers a critical, multi-tiered evaluation of creatine chemistry, analyzing its structural resonance stabilization, zwitterionic behaviors, acid-base dynamics (pKa۱ = ۲.۶۷; pKa۲ = ۱۲.۱۸), and the precise thermodynamic parameters (Go= -۴۳.۱ kJ/mol) that govern phosphocreatine-mediated energy shuttling. This study systematically assesses contemporary analytical advancements—including high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (۳۱P-NMR) spectroscopy, and nanostructured electrochemical biosensors—highlighting their utility in pharmaceutical quality assurance and system-wide clinical metabolomics. Furthermore, this review explores the diverse cellular mechanisms of creatine action, detailing its roles in osmotic cell volumization, anabolic cascade activation, oxidative stress mitigation, and mitochondrial membrane preservation. Finally, a rigorous comparative analysis of novel commercial formulations against the gold-standard monohydrate is provided, while mapping out key future research trajectories in precision nutrition, brain neuroenergetics, and scaled clinical translation. Collectively, this synthesis reinforces the status of creatine as a highly validated molecular platform with expanding utility across exercise physiology, clinical biochemistry, and advanced therapeutic interventions.

کلیدواژه ها:

analytical chemistry ، Bioenergetics ، Creatine kinase ، Energy Buffering ، Mitochondrial Metabolism ، Zwitterionic Dynamics