creatine zwitterion
Molecular structure
Cooking relevance
Creatine (PubChem CID 586) is an amino acid derivative naturally present in muscle tissue of animals. While not a flavor or aroma compound, it may contribute subtle umami notes in meat broths and stocks through its role in muscle biochemistry, though its culinary significance is minimal compared to other amino acids and nucleotides.
- aroma
- negligible · no distinctive aroma
- culinary role
- trace umami precursor in animal-derived stocks
- mass spectra
- 267 experimental spectra
Mass spectrum
A real measured fragmentation pattern · 1 of 267 experimental spectra
Sensory signature
How this molecule tastes and smells · gold is measured, dashed is a model estimate
Biochemical reactions
Metabolic reactions from curated biochemical databases · peer-reviewed
guanidinoacetate + S-adenosyl-L-methionine = creatine + S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine + H(+)
N-phosphocreatine + H2O = creatine + phosphate
creatinine + H2O = creatine
creatine + ATP = N-phosphocreatine + ADP + H(+)
Research associations
Literature-derived · peer-reviewed sources only · not medical advice
Foods containing this compound

Verified Data
Compound identity and culinary context are continuously cross-referenced across open scientific databases and maintained by Foodgeist's enrichment pipeline.
The Geist can be wrong. Some flavor, taste, and pairing values are model-predicted, not lab-measured.






