Menatetrenone
Description
Menatetrenone (CAS 863-61-6), commercially recognized as MK-4 and Menaquinone-4, is the synthetic short-chain form of Vitamin K2 used across pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and functional food applications.
It supports calcium metabolism regulation and bone health positioning in finished products, making it a target active ingredient for formulators developing condition-specific supplements.
In pharmaceutical manufacturing, menatetrenone is the active ingredient in prescription bone-health therapeutics, particularly in markets such as Japan where it holds approved drug status.
Nutraceutical and dietary supplement producers incorporate MK-4 into softgels, tablets, and combination bone-health formulas alongside Vitamin D3 and calcium for maximum efficacy.
Functional food and fortified beverage manufacturers use it to support on-pack K2 content claims, particularly in dairy and plant-based formats. Cosmetic formulators have explored its antioxidant activity.
Menatetrenone is supplied as a yellow to orange crystalline powder or in oil-based dispersion formats suited to encapsulation and liquid filling. Pharmaceutical-grade material is available to USP specifications.
Food- and supplement-grade material is also offered, with standardized concentrations common in premix and microencapsulated forms for improved stability in finished formulations.
Physical Properties
| Melting Point | 35 °C |
| Boiling Point | 494.59°C (rough estimate) |
| Density | 1.0461 (rough estimate) |
| Flash Point | 2°C |
| Appearance | Yellow Crystals |
| Color | Light Yellow to Yellow |
| Form | neat |
| Refractive Index | 1.5045 (estimate) |
Trade & Regulatory
| HS Code | 2914699000 |
| UN Number | 1648 |
| ADR Class | 3 |
| Packing Group | II |
| Storage Class | 11 - Combustible Solids |
| WGK (Germany) | 3 |
Documentation
Other Names
Vitamin MK 4|MK4|Menaquinone K4|menaquinone 4|K2 MK4|2-Methyl-3-trans-tetraprenyl-1,4-naphthoquinone|2-Methyl-3-geranylgeranyl-1,4-naphthoquinone|Kaytwo|MK-4
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