MENAQUINONES ARE ISOPRENOID QUINONES OF THE NAPHTHALENE SERIES AND BELONGS TO THE K2 VITAMIN HOMOLOGS. MENAQUINONES WERE ORIGINALLY DISCOVERED AS THE ANTI-HEMORRHAGIC FACTOR AND NOW ENCOMPASSES A VARIETY OF PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES. MENAQUINONE 7 BELONGS TO THE CLASS OF K2-VITAMINS HOMOLOGS. MENAQUINONE 7 HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THE MOST BIOACTIVE COFACTOR FOR THE CARBOXYLATION REACTION OF GLA-PROTEINS SUCH AS OSTEOCALCIN AND MATRIX-GLA PROTEIN, WHICH PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN BUILDING AND MAINTAINING OVERALL BONE HEALTH.
ADMINISTRATION OF MK-7 (100 Β΅G/D) TO RA PATIENTS FOR 3 MONTHS DECREASED LEVELS OF CRP, ESR, DAS28-ESR, AND MMP-3, SUGGESTING THAT THIS FORM OF VITAMIN K2 IS ALSO EFFECTIVE IN THE TREATMENT OF RA.
IT IS FOUND IN FOODS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN, SUCH AS BUTTER AND EGG YOLKS, IN VARIABLE AMOUNTS IN FERMENTED FOODS, SUCH AS CHEESE, SOY FOOD.