Key role of the high-energy tautomer of carnitine in its reaction with gentisic food acid: DFT study

Using the DFT B3LYP method, it was shown that the high-energy tautomer of carnitine is responsible for the realization of its reaction with 2,5-dihydroxybenzene (gentisic) food acid and that the product of this reaction is the ionic pair formed by a protonated zwitterion of carnitine and a gentisate anion.