The discovery of carnitine as an essential nutrient for one species of insect led rapidly to the elucidation of its central role in fat oxidation and its function in mitochondria. The history of this discovery illustrates how an unexpected result in one extremely narrow area of nutrition can lead to the opening up of an entire field in basic metabolism.
From: “The discovery of a vitamin role for carnitine: The first 50 years” by George Wolf. J Nutr. 2006 Aug;136(8):2131-4.
