Ketone bodies are water-soluble molecules:
- acetoacetate
- beta-hydroxybutyrate, and
- acetone.
Ketone bodies contain ketone group that is produced by the liver from fatty acids, during fasting carbohydrate restriction, starvation, prolonged intense exercise alcoholism, type 1 diabetes mellitus
Regulation of Ketone Body Synthesis
When oxidation of fatty acyl CoA to acetyl CoA produces enough NADH and FADH2 to provide the ATP needs of the liver, acetyl CoA is redirected from the TCA cycle into ketogenesis and oxaloacetate in the TCA cycle is diverted toward malate and into glucose synthesis (gluconeogenesis).