The administration of biological compounds that optimize health benefits is an ever-evolving therapeutic goal. Pharmaceutical and other adjunctive biological compounds have been administered via many different routes in order to produce a systemic pharmacological effect. The article summarizes the findings from an Australian comparative study in adults administered vitamin B12 through different oral delivery platforms. A total of 16 subjects (9 males, 7 females) voluntarily partook in a comparative clinical study of five different vitamin B12 formulations across a six-month period, completing 474 person-hours of cumulative contribution, that was equivalent to an n = 60 participation. A nanoparticle delivered vitamin B12 through a NanoCelle platform was observed to be significantly (p < 0.05) better absorbed than all other dose equivalent platforms (i.e., tablets, emulsions, or liposomes) from baseline to 1, 3, and 6 h of the study period. The nanoparticle platform delivered vitamin B12 demonstrated an enhanced and significant absorption profile as exemplified by rapid systemic detection (i.e., 1 h from baseline) when administered to the oro-buccal mucosa with no reports of any adverse events of toxicity. The nanoparticle formulation of methylcobalamin (1000 µg/dose in 0.3 mL volume) showed bioequivalence only with a chewable-dissolvable tablet that administered a five times higher dose of methylcobalamin (5000 µg) per tablet. This study has demonstrated that an active metabolite embedded in a functional biomaterial (NanoCelle) may constitute a drug delivery method that can better access the circulatory system.
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) has a central role in the generation of cellular bioenergy and its regulation. The hydrophobicity exhibited by the CoQ10 molecule leads to reports of poor absorption profiles, therefore, the optimization of formulations and modes of delivery is an ever-evolving therapeutic goal. The aim of this study was to investigate different CoQ10 formulations. The article summarizes the findings from an Australian comparative study involving adults administered CoQ10 through different oral delivery platforms. A total of 11 participants (six males and five females) voluntarily participated in a comparative clinical study of three different CoQ10 formulations across a six-week period, completing 198 person-hours of cumulative contribution equivalent to n = 33 participation. All of the eligible participants (n = 11) administered the three formulations blinded from who the commercial supplier of the formulation was and from what the chemical form of the CoQ10 was that was being administered. The dosing between the CoQ10 preparations were dispensed sequentially and were administered following three-week washouts. Three commercial preparations were tested, which included the following: formulations with capsules each containing ubiquinol and ubiquinone (150 mg/capsule), and a liposome ubiquinone formulation (40 mg/mL at 2 actuations of the pump). A significant inter-subject variation in the plasma level of CoQ10 at baseline that was observed to increase with an increase in age. This trend persisted in the post administration of the different formulations. Furthermore, it was observed that the intestinal absorption and bioavailability of CoQ10 varied significantly in the plasma between subjects, irrespective of whether the ubiquinol or ubiquinone forms were administered. The administration of CoQ10 as a liposome for preparation showed the poorest response in bioavailability. Although the ubiquinol capsule form of CoQ10 was observed to have increased in the plasma versus the ubiquinone capsules and the ubiquinol liposome at the two-hour interval, the inter-subject variation was such that the difference was not significant (p > 0.05). All of the CoQ10 formulations showed no further increases in their plasma levels over the remaining study period (i.e., four hours). This study further concluded that the intestinal absorption of CoQ10 is highly variable and is independent of the molecular form administered. Furthermore, it also concludes that liposomes are not an effective vehicle for the oral administration of CoQ10, and as such, did not improve the oral mucosal/sublingual absorption and bioavailability of the molecule. Of interest was the observation that with the increasing subject age, there was an observed increase in the baseline plasma CoQ10 levels in the participants prior to dosing. It was posited that the increase in the baseline plasma levels of CoQ10 with an increase in age could be due to the loss of skeletal muscle mass, a result that still needs to be verified.
Background: Herbal medicines present attractive options to patients with chronic diseases. Undertaking clinical studies with patients presenting with symptomless pre-T2D can lead to significant limitations. Methods: A 12-week randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical study was conducted that investigated the safety and efficacy of an herbal formulation administered orally for the treatment of pre-type 2 diabetes (pre-T2D). Results: A numerically greater proportion of subjects in the interventional arm had impaired fasting glucose (IFG) at week 12 compared to the control arm (71.0% vs. 69.0%, p = 0.75). Fewer participants had impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) at 12 weeks in the intervention arm compared to the control arm (unadjusted 58.3% vs. 66.7%, p = 0.65; adjusting for baseline IGT, p = 0.266). In a subgroup analysis, subjects with a baseline fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level in the range of 6.1–6.9 mmol/L demonstrated a non-significant lower proportion of IFG at week 12 in the intervention arm compared to the control arm (60.0% vs. 41.7% p = 0.343). Total blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels remained unchanged from baseline to week 12 in both treatment groups. Conclusions: This study suggests that a polyherbal medicine was not effective for reducing the metabolic markers associated with pre-T2D over a 12-week period. Therefore, larger studies with well-defined endpoints and of longer duration are warranted.
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