Evaluation and clinical comparison studies on liposomal and non-liposomal ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and their enhanced bioavailability.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized crossover clinical trial
PubMed 32901526 · doi:10.1080/08982104.2020.1820521
What was done
Liposomal vitamin C was characterized in vitro for morphology, particle size, and stability using transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and zeta potential measurements. In vivo oral bioavailability was evaluated in healthy, fasting adult humans using an open-label, randomized, single-dose, two-period, two-sequence crossover trial comparing liposomal to standard non-liposomal ascorbic acid.
What was found
The liposomes exhibited a core-type structure, particle size under 100 nm, and encapsulation efficiency of 65.85 ± 1.84%. Clinically, oral liposomal vitamin C was 1.77 times more bioavailable than non-liposomal vitamin C, achieving higher Cmax, AUC0-t, and AUC0-∞. No adverse events were reported during the trial. Specific numerical values for Cmax, AUCs, and statistical confidence intervals were not provided in the abstract.
Why it matters
Liposomal delivery systems may substantially improve the gastrointestinal absorption and systemic exposure of oral ascorbic acid compared to standard formulations.
Limits
The abstract does not disclose the sample size (n), participant demographics, or exact pharmacokinetic values and confidence intervals. The study was open-label, evaluated only a single dose under fasting conditions, and did not assess clinical endpoints or long-term outcomes.
Cited by
- supports In a study of 20 people, a single 10-gram dose of liposomal vitamin C increased plasma levels to 300 micromoles per liter, took an hour longer to reach peak concentration, and had a half-life two hours longer than non-encapsulated vitamin C.