Menatetrenone

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.