Question: what are the reactants and products of pyruvate oxidation?
Answer: Overview of pyruvate oxidation Simplified diagram of pyruvate oxidation. Pyruvate—three carbons—is converted to acetyl CoA, a two-carbon molecule attached to coenzyme A. A molecule of coenzyme A is a necessary reactant for this reaction, which releases a molecule of carbon dioxide and reduces a NAD+ to NADH.