New Delivery and Sourcing Approaches Shape Formulation Opportunities for Chondroitin and Folate

In this interview from Natural Products Expo West, Nutritional Outlook spoke with Stacey Smith, Gnosis by Lesaffre’s senior medical affairs liaison, about two ingredients: MyCondro and Quatrefolic. The discussion centers on how both ingredients align with current consumer and formulation trends, particularly around bioavailability, sustainability, and format flexibility.

Smith explains that MyCondro, a fermentation-derived chondroitin sulfate, offers several potential advantages over conventional bovine-derived chondroitin. Because it is non-animal and produced through a patented fermentation process, it appeals to consumers looking for more sustainable and environmentally responsible ingredients. The fermentation approach also supports consistency, high purity, and lower contamination risk from batch to batch.

According to Smith, MyCondro has demonstrated improved absorption, allowing formulators to use lower doses while maintaining efficacy. That lower inclusion rate can create more room in formulas for additional complementary ingredients, giving brands more flexibility to build innovative joint health products. She emphasizes that while many products in the category focus broadly on inflammation, chondroitin sulfate is specifically intended to support joint structure and cartilage.

The conversation also turns to Quatrefolic, Gnosis’s active folate ingredient. Smith describes it as a widely recognized form of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, valued for its bioavailability and role in DNA methylation and homocysteine regulation. She notes that Quatrefolic is commonly used in fertility, pregnancy, B-complex, healthy aging, sports nutrition, and neurotransmitter-support products.

Smith says the newer Quatrefolic PRO format was developed to expand formulation possibilities by improving stability and solubility. This gives manufacturers more flexibility not only in traditional capsules and tablets, but also in alternative delivery systems such as liquids, ready-to-drink products, powder mixes, and oral sprays. Overall, the interview highlights how ingredient innovation is increasingly tied not just to physiological function, but also to sustainability and consumer-preferred formats.

A transcript of her conversation can be found below.

Nicholas Saraceno: MyCondro is produced through a patented fermentation process and has demonstrated up to 45% greater absorption compared with conventional bovine-derived chondroitin. How might these bioavailability and sustainability advantages influence its use in next-generation joint health formulations?

Stacey Smith: As you mentioned, MyCondro is made through a fermentation process, and for a lot of consumers these days, that's really important to them, the sustainability piece and being environmentally responsible and friendly. Us making it from a fermentation process and making it as a high quality and high-purity ingredient is very important to people. That non-animal piece is definitely something that people are looking for that also makes it so there's low contamination risk.

You're getting a consistent batch every single time. That's definitely very important as well, and because of the bioavailability study that we have, we're showing that with a lower dose, it has better absorption. You can actually use half the dose of the bovine and the animal chondroitin sulfates. This is actually allowing people and formulators to make more innovative formulas, and the ability to combine more interesting ingredients.

That's really another high point for MyCondro, and what is really interesting about the ability to do that is in the joint space, we're combating that just inflammation piece. A lot of people are creating anti-inflammatory products. What we really want to highlight is that MyCondro—that chondroitin sulfate—is supporting the actual joint and cartilage itself.

Saraceno: Quatrefolic, an active form of folate, is associated with benefits in fertility, cardiovascular health, and potentially beauty-from-within applications, while the newer Quatrefolic PRO format offers improved stability and solubility. How do these functional and formulation advantages expand opportunities for folate in modern supplement and functional product formats?

Smith: Quatrefolic, is, I would say, one of the longest standing, or maybe the most popular, most recognized, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate on the market. It's an active folate in the most bioavailable form for the body, and it's utilized mainly in DNA methylation and normalizing homocysteine.

It’s helpful in products for fertility and pregnancy, and you'll see it in a lot of B-complex formulations, as well as just healthy aging, and even in the sports nutrition space, and in neurotransmitter support. It's got a diverse capability in its actions. What Gnosis likes to do is, we like to take an ingredient—not only understand its physiological function—but also help with delivery formulations and formats.

What we did with Quatrefolic PRO is we have added it to our Quatrefolic family as really for the formulators and diversifying their capabilities in formulations. At Gnosis, our goal is to really support our customer in creating those innovative formulations, but also offering delivery format methods that are consistent with what consumers are looking for. Obviously, capsules and tablets are something that everybody utilizes, but also in liquid formulations, ready-to-drink mixes, and even oral sprays.