Delivery systems technology has rapidly evolved in the past few years, giving formulators more flexibility with nutraceutical ingredients and creating easier ways to formulate products. Emerging delivery systems are addressing issues such as ingredient stability and bioavailability without affecting taste, making for more effective, more shelf-stable supplements. There are now several different next-generation delivery system solutions on the market for formulators to choose from; these solutions range from microencapsulation, to liposomes, next-generation capsules, micelles, and more. Here are just some of the new and improved delivery systems that have caught formulators’ attention.
Hydrogel Technology Boosts Phytonutrient Stability
Consumers today are interested in a variety of phytonutrients and herbal ingredients such as berberine, resveratrol, and curcumin, says Liz Clarke, CFS, global marketing manager for Akay Bioactives (Sayreville, NJ). However, Clarke says, these ingredients are notoriously difficult for the body to absorb and utilize. They’re also often unstable, poorly soluble in water, and rapidly metabolized, which creates difficulties for manufacturers and consumers alike.
“Even though a label may claim a high milligram dose, only a tiny fraction of that may reach circulation,” Clarke says. “From a consumer perspective, this creates a disconnect: they’re investing in wellness but not always experiencing the benefits from their supplements. For manufacturers, that can translate into trust and compliance issues.”
Akay Bioactives has created its patented FenuMat delivery technology to resolve stability issues. A plant-based delivery technology derived from prebiotic fenugreek fiber, FenuMat is a self-emulsifying hydrogel that creates a protective matrix around bioactive compounds, thereby stabilizing sensitive ingredients and creating a sustained-release effect. FenuMat also masks strong flavors and odors, and most importantly, enhances absorption within the body.
“FenuMat is most valuable when stability, solubility, and bioavailability are limiting factors,” Clarke explains. “These are known challenges for many botanicals and lipophilic compounds. It’s an excellent choice for products where consumers demand efficacy and a plant-based clean label simultaneously.”
Clarke says that many delivery systems, like liposomes, micelles, and nanoemulsions, were originally developed for pharmaceuticals, which means that they often rely on synthetic excipients. These delivery systems can also be unstable in storage or have limitations in terms of dosage form flexibility. In contrast, FenuMat is a whole-food, plant-based solution that’s been clinically substantiated and offers a great deal of versatility.
“Because it produces a free-flowing, water-soluble powder, FenuMat can be used in capsules, tablets, sachets, powders, gummies, chews, and even functional foods,” Clarke says. “The technology also enables lower dosing without sacrificing efficacy. For instance, a joint health product that might require 1,500mg of curcumin and Boswellia could be reformulated with just 250mg when delivered via FenuMat, with equal or superior bioavailability. This reduction in dosage makes it much easier to fit into gummies or smaller capsules, which is a major consumer advantage as supplement fatigue and pill burden are real concerns.”
Next-Generation Capsules Make Supplements Consumer-Friendly
As one of the most widely accepted delivery formats, capsules have long been the most trusted, convenient, and widely used dosage forms in the nutraceutical industry. However, as formulations have become more complex and targeted, newer considerations have emerged that are challenging capsules’ dominance. Shelby Linville, associate director of global product marketing for Lonza Capsugel (Basel, Switzerland), says that acid-sensitive ingredients like probiotics are particularly challenging to formulate in capsule format. Probiotics, Linville says, must reach the gut microbiota in order to deliver their intended benefits, meaning they must pass through the stomach and be protected from its low pH. This is something that has not traditionally been possible with capsule technology.
Linville notes that combining multiple ingredients into a single capsule has also been a challenge for manufacturers. Now, though, formulators are leveraging capsule-in-capsule technology to combine ingredients and are using designed-release capsules to overcome the challenge of delivering pH-sensitive ingredients.
“Lonza Capsugel Duocap capsule-in-capsule technology, which is made up of a smaller powder or liquid-filled capsule inside of a larger, liquid-filled capsule, allows for the combination of typically incompatible active ingredients in a single dose,” Linville explains. “What’s more, innovative timed-release capsule technologies have helped nutraceutical brands overcome the challenge of delivering pH-sensitive ingredients. When these Capsugel DRcaps capsules are combined in a capsule-in-capsule system, they can increase the viability of probiotics by up to 46 times compared to standard capsules.”
Micelles Improve Bioavailability of Lipid-Soluble Ingredients
Bioavailability remains a key concern for formulators, particularly when working with marine ingredients. Many ingredients are poorly soluble, unstable, or easily degraded by heat, light, or oxidation, says Danny Hofeditz, director of quality and product innovation at Aquanova (Darmstadt, Germany). This means that even high-quality ingredients may deliver limited physiological effects, while interactions with other components in a given formulation may further reduce bioactives’ activity.
How to Decide Which Delivery Format is Best
Liposomes, hydrogels, micelles, oh my! With so many next-generation delivery systems on the market, it can be hard to tell which delivery format is best-suited for which application. As it turns out, each of these delivery systems has different nuances that make it ideal for different types of ingredient.
Hydrogel technology is an ideal solution for plant-based clean-label applications, as it is derived from a plant.
Next-generation capsules work well with complex formulations and in situations where the active ingredients must be protected from oxygen, light, moisture, and variations in pH. Capsule technology is also ideal for use when the timing of release matters.
Micelles are best used with poorly bioavailable and lipid-soluble ingredients, as micelle technology works by enclosing bioactives in a structure that mimics the body’s natural fat absorption pathways.
Liposomes are best used for delivering ingredients that are sensitive to degradation; the liposome’s lipid-based structure protects ingredients from degradation and enables targeted delivery.
Hofeditz says that micellar technology is particularly suitable for lipid-soluble and poorly bioavailable ingredients like curcumin, CoQ10, and certain vitamins. Micellar technology works by enclosing bioactives in a microscopic, water-compatible structure that mimics the body’s natural fat absorption pathways, thereby stabilizing and protecting sensitive compounds.
“Compared to liposomes, phytosomes and many other delivery systems, micelle technology offers distinct advantages in terms of structure and performance,” Hofeditz says. “Micelles are significantly smaller in size, providing a larger surface area that enables superior interaction with the intestinal wall and thus higher bioavailability. In addition, micellar encapsulation makes the active ingredients resistant to pH changes and mechanical shear stress.”
Micellar technology is increasingly being used in formats such as softgels, shots, RTD beverages, sachets, mouth sprays, and even chewables, Hofeditz says. Together, these formats demonstrate the versatility of micellar solutions in delivering nutrients in convenient forms.
Liposomes Increase Bioavailability of Herbal Ingredients
Phytonutrients derived from herbs can pose particular problems for formulators. Tanja Kokkinis, communications and brand manager for Pharmako Biotechnologies (Australia), says one of the biggest challenges in formulating an herbal product is ensuring that the phytonutrients in the product are available for absorption in the body. Many herbal substances are hydrophobic and have difficulty dispersing in an aqueous environment, which translates to low absorption rates in the body. As a result, Kokkinis explains, high doses of raw ingredients may be needed in order to achieve a measurable effect.
“Liposomal technology is effective for delivering ingredients to the body that are poorly absorbed or are sensitive to degradation,” Kokkinis says. “By encapsulating these nutrients within a lipid-based structure, they are protected from degradation. This enhances bioavailability and also enables targeted delivery within the body, resulting in improved therapeutic efficacy and reduced dose with greater consistency of outcomes.”
Kokkinis says there are two primary dosage formats for liposomal ingredients: Liquid liposomes, which can be marketed as a bottled product with metered dosages (for instance, in a spray format), or powdered pro-liposomes, which can be used in capsules, tablets, powders, chewables, and gummies.
Liposomes offer a variety of advantages over other delivery formats, particularly when it comes to herbs. Sebastian Balcombe, MS, CEO and founder of Specnova (Tysons Corner, VA), says liposomes offer superior permeability, solubility, and stability compared to other encapsulation methods, resulting in improved bioavailability.
“Putting an ingredient inside a liposome vastly improves the performance of most ingredients,” Balcombe says. “The rate and extent of a nutraceutical’s movement through the small intestines, along with its solubility characteristics, are two major factors in how optimized a nutraceutical is for absorption. The cell wall membranes of the small intestines are composed of a lipid bilayer, often comprised of phospholipids, which have both fat-soluble and water-soluble portions. A LipoVantage liposome is also comprised of a phospholipid bilayer containing a fat-soluble and a water-soluble portion. This is why the body is so efficient at absorbing the active ingredients in liposomes.”
Balcombe notes that liposomes also improve the solubility and stability of ingredients by enabling ingredients to reach the small intestine, where they’re well-absorbed. He explains that liposomes can be created around most compounds and molecules, including plant botanicals, minerals like magnesium, and various other ingredients like L-carnitine.
Delivery Systems Set to Evolve
Delivery systems are continually advancing, with manufacturers finding more and more ways to improve the solubility, stability, and bioavailability of ingredients. These advances are making it easier for formulators to incorporate typically difficult-to-formulate-with ingredients into a variety of formats, from capsules, to RTD beverages, powders and more. With formats like hydrogels improving ingredient stability and micelles increasing bioavailability, there are ample offerings on the market for formulators looking to give their products a delivery boost. Most importantly, leveraging these technologies is a great way to meet (or exceed) consumer expectations for these products, providing superior efficacy in a lower-dose format.
Author Bio
Mike Straus is a freelance writer living in Kelowna, Canada. He writes for trade publications like Hoist, Canadian Chiropractor, Grow Opportunity, and Massage Therapy Canada.
