A compound according to the structure of formula I: wherein: R 1 and R 2 are the same or different and selected from an alkyl or alkenyl hydrocarbon chain selected from the group consisting of: CH 3 (CH 2) 3 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 5 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 7 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 9 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 11 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 13 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 15 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 17 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 19 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 21 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 23 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 3 CH=CH(CH 2) 7 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 5 CH=CH(CH 2) 7 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 7 CH=CH(CH 2) 7 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 4 CH=CHCH 2 CH=CH(CH 2) 7 -, CH 3 CH 2 CH=CHCH 2 CH=CHCH 2 CH=CH(CH 2) 7 -, CH 3 CH 2 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 3 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 5 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 7 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 9 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) n (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 13 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 15 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 17 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 19 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 21 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 3 CH=CH(CH 2) 5 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 5 CH=CH(CH 2) 5 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 7 CH=CH(CH 2) 5 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 4 CH=CHCH 2 CH=CH(CH 2) 5 (CH=CH), CH 3 CH 2 CH=CHCH 2 CH=CHCH 2 CH=CH(CH 2) 5 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 3 CH=CH(CH 2) 7 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 5 CH=CH(CH 2) 7 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 7 CH=CH(CH 2) 7 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 4 (CH=CHCH 2) 2 (CH 2) 6 -, CH 3 CH 2 (CH=CHCH 2) 3 (CH 2) 6 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 4 (CH=CHCH 2) 4 (CH 2) 2 -, CH 3 CH 2 (CH=CHCH 2) 5 (CH 2) 2 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 7 CH=CH(CH 2) 11, and CH 3 CH 2 (CH=CHCH 2) 6 CH 2 -; R 3 is selected from the group consisting of carnitine, acetyl-D/L-carnitine, thiocarnitine, acetyl-D/L-thiocarnitine, creatine, norcarnitine, lipoic acid, dihydrolipoic acid, and substituted or unsubstituted amino acid groups R 4 and R 5 are independently hydrogen or a cyclic, branched or straight chain monovalent alkyl radical of one to seven carbon atoms; R 6 is hydrogen or a cyclic, branched or straight chain monovalent alkyl radical of one to seven carbon atoms; and R 7 and R 5 are independently hydrogen or a cyclic, branched or straight chain monovalent alkyl radical of one to seven carbon atoms, including racemates or isolated stereoisomers and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein the amino acid group is selected from the group consisting of alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine and valine, and wherein the substitution functional group is a cyclic, branched or straight chain monovalent alkyl radical of one to seven carbon atoms, acetate or phosphate. R 1 and R 2 are the same or different and selected from an alkyl or alkenyl hydrocarbon chain selected from the group consisting of: CH 3 (CH 2) 3 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 5 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 7 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 9 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 11 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 13 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 15 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 17 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 19 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 21 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 23 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 3 CH=CH(CH 2) 7 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 5 CH=CH(CH 2) 7 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 7 CH=CH(CH 2) 7 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 4 CH=CHCH 2 CH=CH(CH 2) 7 -, CH 3 CH 2 CH=CHCH 2 CH=CHCH 2 CH=CH(CH 2) 7 -, CH 3 CH 2 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 3 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 5 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 7 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 9 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) n (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 13 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 15 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 17 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 19 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 21 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 3 CH=CH(CH 2) 5 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 5 CH=CH(CH 2) 5 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 7 CH=CH(CH 2) 5 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 4 CH=CHCH 2 CH=CH(CH 2) 5 (CH=CH), CH 3 CH 2 CH=CHCH 2 CH=CHCH 2 CH=CH(CH 2) 5 (CH=CH)-, CH 3 (CH 2) 3 CH=CH(CH 2) 7 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 5 CH=CH(CH 2) 7 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 7 CH=CH(CH 2) 7 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 4 (CH=CHCH 2) 2 (CH 2) 6 -, CH 3 CH 2 (CH=CHCH 2) 3 (CH 2) 6 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 4 (CH=CHCH 2) 4 (CH 2) 2 -, CH 3 CH 2 (CH=CHCH 2) 5 (CH 2) 2 -, CH 3 (CH 2) 7 CH=CH(CH 2) 11, and CH 3 CH 2 (CH=CHCH 2) 6 CH 2 -; R 3 is selected from the group consisting of carnitine, acetyl-D/L-carnitine, thiocarnitine, acetyl-D/L-thiocarnitine, creatine, norcarnitine, lipoic acid, dihydrolipoic acid, and substituted or unsubstituted amino acid groups R 4 and R 5 are independently hydrogen or a cyclic, branched or straight chain monovalent alkyl radical of one to seven carbon atoms; R 6 is hydrogen or a cyclic, branched or straight chain monovalent alkyl radical of one to seven carbon atoms; and R 7 and R 5 are independently hydrogen or a cyclic, branched or straight chain monovalent alkyl radical of one to seven carbon atoms, including racemates or isolated stereoisomers and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein the amino acid group is selected from the group consisting of alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine and valine, and wherein the substitution functional group is a cyclic, branched or straight chain monovalent alkyl radical of one to seven carbon atoms, acetate or phosphate.