Hy-Folic provides double bioavailability compared to folic acid, clinical study reveals

Gnosis by Lesaffre touts the results of a recent study, which compares Hy-Folic — produced by Simex Pharmaceutical Indonesia — with its Quatrefolic folic acid. The study reveals that after a single oral dose in healthy volunteers. Hy-Folic is twice as bioavailable as folic acid and utilizes Quatrefolic, consisting of (6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid (5-MTHF) and glucosamine salt as its active form of folate.

According to the company, this is important because folate, also known as vitamin B9, is crucial for women of reproductive age and is integral to DNA synthesis, cell division and fetal neurological development. This makes the nutrient a necessity for the roughly 140 million women who give birth annually and their newborns.

However, though folic acid is currently recommended for women planning to conceive, many women have an MTHFR polymorphism that hampers the conversion of folic acid to its active form, 5-MTHF, which could impact folate bioavailability. Gnosis by Lesaffre states that active folate forms like Quatrefolic bypass this conversion process, offering a more effective solution, especially for those with this genetic variation.

“Our study findings suggest that Hy-Folic increases 5-MTHF levels in the body more effectively than folic acid,” says Merrylin Saragih, head of product department at Simex Pharmaceutical Indonesia. “This is especially important for individuals requiring enhanced folate bioavailability, such as pregnant women or those with genetic polymorphisms affecting folic acid metabolism.” 

Proving the point

Published in the International Journal of Applied Pharmaceutics, the randomized, open-label, crossover design demonstrated that a single dose of Hy-Folic revealed several key advantages of active folate.

The results show that the offering doubles the bioavailability of folic acid, achieving higher peak plasma concentrations and total area under the curve and boosting folate utilization. Hy-Folic (Quatrefolic) circumvents the metabolic steps needing DHFR (dihydrofolate reductase) and MTHFR enzymes, offering significant benefits for the 40% of people globally with genetic variations affecting folic acid metabolism.

Hy-Folic significantly reduces unmetabolized folic acid (UMFA) accumulation in the bloodstream, which can occur when folic acid isn’t fully metabolized and may lead to adverse effects.

This study emphasizes Hy-Folic’s value as an essential supplement for populations with increased folate needs, including pregnant women, those with folate deficiencies or individuals on methotrexate therapy, where optimal folate availability is vital.

“We have espoused the need for the standard of care to change,” explains Jean Francois Jeanne, substantiation and application manager at Gnosis by Lesaffre. “We contend that clinically validated Quatrefolic offers substantial advantages over folic acid, but also for a wider population.”

“This study provides another strong element to that argument,” Jeanne concludes.