Bioavailability boosts: Clean-label ingredients and convenient formats inspire new innovation

24 Nov 2022 --- Bioavailability equals convenience – the more easily a nutrient can be absorbed, the easier consumers can fit those products into their busy lifestyles while still meeting their supplement needs. NutritionInsight speaks with industry experts from Pharmako Biotechnologies and Lonza Capsules & Health Ingredients about the trends and innovations driving advancements in the bioavailability space. 

According to the two companies, today’s consumers are looking for science-backed products in accessible formats. Additionally, they are looking at clean-label ingredients, the quality of the raw materials used and the manufacturing processes. They are also increasingly seeking convenient formats such as sachet sticks, gummies and easy-to-take capsules.

“Starting before the pandemic, but increasing during lockdowns, consumers are now more interested and engaged with the products they buy and consume,” says Eric Meppem, commercial director at Pharmako Biotechnologies. “Consumers are more interested in the quality, source and efficacy of ingredients than ever before.”

Lindsey Toth, the director of global marketing at Lonza Capsules & Health Ingredients, agrees with this overview.

“For today’s consumers, clinical proof of efficacy is a critical component when it comes to choosing supplement products. As consumers increasingly prioritize overall health and well-being, combination or hybrid products – those that deliver multiple ingredients or benefits in a single product – are gaining momentum,” she explains.

Shifting into high gear
Both companies agree that technological advancements, scientific and clinical validation and companies’ recognition of consumer desire and awareness are shifting trends within bioavailability. According to Meppem, these shifts have driven the need for bioavailability into different categories.

Modern consumers want products that serve multiple nutritional needs in convenient formats.“These include sports or active nutrition through not only improved bioavailability but also better functionality such as dispersion technology like LipiSperse, which allows lipophilic ingredients to be included into traditional ready-to-mix powder formats,” says Meppem. “New formats are also emerging such as direct-to-mouth powders, sprays, gels and drops.”

Lonza Capsules and Ingredients holds that its Capsugel and Licaps technologies allow for the combining of ingredients and increased functionality.

“Balancing an appetite for innovation with factors such as ingredient stability and consumer appeal, this technology enables brands to elevate the functionality of their ingredients, overcoming common formulation and delivery challenges and ultimately develop a standout product,” Toth elaborates.

“When used together with our Capsugel Beadlets technology, Capsugel Licaps capsules enable liquids to be easily paired with solids so that multiple ingredients can be delivered in a single dose,” she underscores.

“Capsugel Licaps capsules can be combined with our Capsugel Lava Lamp technology, which facilitates ingredient combinations in one attractive, eye-catching dosage form.”

Toth says this makes Lonza’s solutions ideal for brands looking to conveniently deliver multiple ingredients with “stand-out” visual appeal and that alternatively, brands can unlock even more formulation possibilities by combining Capsugel Licaps with its lipid multi-particulate technology, which can quickly deliver micro-doses of active nutritional ingredients.

Innovative ingredients and functional formats
Another point on which the two companies agree is how innovations allow companies to offer both new and traditional ingredients in novel ways and new categories.Transforming powdered ingredients like curcumin into liquid form significantly increases bioavailability.

“For a number of years, the main ingredients brand companies were presenting with enhanced bioavailability were the more traditional lipophilic and mainstream actives such as coenzyme-Q10 and omega-3s,” Meppem explains. “Now consumer interest in healthy aging and beauty from within has led to the emergence of formulations including astaxanthin, resveratrol, nicotinamide mononucleotide, quercetin and nicotinamide riboside to name a few.”

Pharmako Biotechnologies highlights its AquaCelle, LipiSperse, CPO and PlexoZome delivery systems that can be used in various applications. AquaCelle can be used for ingredients like fish oil, allowing for quick emulsification in water. LipiSperse turns powders into “water-loving” areas suitable for ingredients like quercetin, curcumin and resveratrol.

CPO can be used to turn ingredients like lavender oil and astaxanthin and can be paired with AquaCelle to further optimize bioavailability. PlexoZome liposomes are tiny, spherical structures made up of a lipid membrane around an aqueous core that resembles a cell and can pass through cells in the buccal membrane of the mouth.

This capability reduces dose size and works well with hydrophilic ingredients like vitamin C, B12 or hydrophobic D3, where high doses are traditionally required. All of these innovations allow for “Interesting ingredients” to be added in new formats and new categories like “beauty from within.”

Capsules within capsules
Some ingredients naturally have poor bioavailability and are less easily absorbed by the body when consumed. Changing the ingredient from a powder form to a liquid can solve that problem.

Capsule in capsule technologies allow for multiple formats in the same solution.Lonza’s Capsugel Licaps liquid-filled capsules combine proprietary capsule design and capsule closure fusion technology, allowing brands and supplement producers to ensure that ingredients are delivered into the body in their more bioavailable liquid form without risk of leakage. This benefit helps to enhance ingredient functionality and overcome demanding formulation challenges.

Additionally, Toth states that Lonza’s Capsugel Duocap capsule-in-capsule technology will further help brands capitalize on these demands.

“This single oral dosage delivery system, which involves inserting a smaller, prefilled capsule into a larger, filled capsule, offers numerous possibilities and a broad range of formulation and design options,” she highlights. “Both the inner and outer capsules can be sealed using our technology, offering brands almost unlimited innovation potential.”

“Consumers are also increasingly interested in exploring the potential of trending ingredients, such as curcumin and Boswellia, which have grown increasingly popular for potential joint health benefits and antioxidant properties. However, native curcumin powder has very poor bioavailability and, therefore, results in low absorption of the ingredient and reduced efficacy.”

“Brand owners and companies in the supplements space can now leverage our Capsugel Licaps liquid-filled capsules to deliver liquid curcumin formulations to significantly improve bioavailability and absorption of the ingredient once in the bloodstream.”

Future formulations
Looking ahead, both companies agree that the ability to customize formulations with clean-label and varied or combined formats for clients and suppliers will continue to play a large part in the future of bioavailability applications.

“Since our proprietary Capsugel Licaps capsules are available in vegetarian, vegan and plant-based polymers – such as pullulan and HPMC – brands can create highly efficacious supplement products that also align with the needs and lifestyle preferences of today’s consumers,” Toth emphasizes.

Meanwhile, Meppem believes that Pharmako Biotechnologies is already ahead of the curve in many of these areas, noting that “suppliers in the bioavailability field need to be able to support all customers with adequate documentation and validation.”

“Pharmako already customizes formulations for different clients depending on the dosage format required, differing raw materials, regulatory restrictions in various markets and finished good stability questions,” he concludes.

By William Bradford Nichols with additional reporting by Nicole Kerr