USANA CRB CoQ10Bioavailability

USANA HEALTH SCIENCES
CLINICAL RESEARCH BULLETIN
Comparative Bioavailability of Coenzyme Q10

in Four Formulations
JOHN CUOMO, PHD* AND ALEXANDER RABOVSKY, PHD*
* USANA Health Sciences, Inc. Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
oenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

plays an essential role in
mitochondrial
electron
transport, and as such it is fundamental for energy production
in cells.1 Further, CoQ10 is an antioxidant whose activity is particularly important in regenerating vitamin E. Its ability to
quench free-radicals also helps
maintain the structural integrity
and stability of mitochondrial and
cellular membranesincluding
intracellular membranes.2 Studies
have shown therapeutic benefits
for CoQ10 supplementation, the
best documented of which involve
cases of heart failure and ischemic heart disease.3
Because CoQ10 is a lipidsoluble nutrient, its bioavailability from pharmaceutical and nutritional products can be limited.
USANA uses a patented solubilization system in its current CoQuinone product, which is highly
effective in promoting high
CoQ10 absorption. However,
many of the solubilizing ingredients are synthetic, and ideally

an all-natural formula would be
preferable. This study was designed to compare the bioavailability of CoQ10 as delivered by
four formulas, including a new,
proprietary, all-natural formula
developed by USANA scientists.
Methods
This prospective crossover
study involved 14 healthy subjects.
Four coenzyme Q10 formulations
were prepared: a dry tablet without cyclodextrins, a dry tablet
containing a preformed cyclodextrin-CoQ10 complex, the current
USANA CoQuinone liquid formula in a soft-gel capsule, and USANAs new proprietary liquid formula in a hard gelatin capsule.
Given the crossover design, each
subject participated in each of
the four treatments in serial fashion, with a washout period (six
days) between treatments.
On the morning of the first

test, subjects reported to the laboratory for a baseline blood
draw. After the blood draw, each
participant was given a CoQ10
supplement with a standard meal.
Additional blood samples were
then drawn at 3, 5, and 8 hours
after supplementation. This protocol, beginning with a baseline
blood draw, was repeated three
more times as the subjects rotated through the four treatments.
All blood samples were
processed, and plasma fractions
were analyzed for CoQ10 via
HPLC with an electrochemical
detector. Increases from baseline
in plasma CoQ10 concentrations
were calculated, and statistical
comparisons between treatments
were run. In addition, increases
in plasma CoQ10 were plotted as
a function of time following supplementation, and area under the
curve (AUC) was calculated as an
indicator of bioavailability over
Recommended Citation: Cuomo J, Rabovsky A. Comparative Bioavailability of Coenzyme Q10 in Four Formulations. 2000. USANA Clinical Research Bulletin, USANA Health Sciences, Inc. SLC, UT.
time. Statistical comparisons

were also made for these AUCs.
Results
The four formulas showed
dramatic differences in CoQ10
bioavailability (Figures 1 and 2).
The dry tablet formula without
cyclodextrins gave only marginal
increases in plasma CoQ10 over
baseline levels. The dry tablet
formula with cyclodextrins appeared to be slightly better, but
again, increases over baseline
were modest.
The two liquid formulas, however, produced significant rises in
plasma CoQ10. A 100 mg dose of
CoQ10 delivered in USANAs current CoQuinone formula boosted
plasma levels of this coenzyme to
about 225% of baseline levels at
five hours after supplementation.
Levels declined by eight hours.
USANAs new proprietary liquid
formula gave similar results.
Plasma CoQ10 concentrations
rose to over 200% of baseline by
five hours after supplementation,
but then retained these elevated
levels through eight hours (Figure 1). Comparisons of AUCs further highlight the differences between treatments (Figure 2).
Importantly, USANAs current
CoQuinone formula and the new
proprietary, all-natural formula
gave virtually identical results

with respect to this timeintegrated measure of CoQ10 bioavailability.
Discussion
This study was undertaken as
part of a program to develop a
new CoQ10 formula with high
bioavailability comparable to the
current CoQuinone product, but
without using synthetic solubilizers. Two new formulas were
tested. The first, a dry tablet formula, contained CoQ10 complexed with cyclodextrins (ringshaped starch polymers used to
promote the solubility and bioavailability of fat-soluble active
ingredients4). The second was an
all-natural liquid formula based
on lecithin, medium chain triglycerides, and glycerine monooleate.
The dry tablet formula with
cylcodextrins did not provide the
high levels of bioavailability necessary to meet USANAs standards. The new all-natural liquid
formula did. Results showed that
time courses were similar for
normalized plasma CoQ10 levels
following supplementation with
either USANAs current CoQuinone formula or the new allnatural liquid formula. Furthermore, these two formulas per-
formed identically when results

were subjected to a timeintegrated AUC measure of bioavailability.
We conclude that USANAs
new liquid CoQ10 formula, comprising all natural ingredients,
delivers the same high level of
CoQ10 bioavailability as the companys current CoQuinone formula.
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank
Toni McKinnon RN, CCRP, for
her assistance in this study.
References
1.
2.
3.
4.
Crane FL, et al. The essential functions of coenzyme Q. 1993. Clin Investig 71:S55.
Kagan VE, et al. Coenzyme Q: it role
in scavenging and generation of radicals in membranes. 1996. In E Cadenas and L Packer, (eds). Handbook of Antioxidants. Marcel Dekker, New York.
Littarru GP, et al. Clinical aspects of
coenzyme Q: improvement of cellular bioenergetics or antioxidant protection?. 1996. In E Cadenas and L
Packer, (eds). Handbook of Antioxidants. Marcel Dekker, New York.
Uekama K, Fujinaga T, Hirayama F,
Otagiri M, Yamasaki M, Seo H, Hashimoto T, Tsuruoka M. Improvement of the oral bioavailability of
digitalis glycosides by cyclodextrin
complexation. 1983. J Pharm Sci
72(11):1338-41.
Figure 1
Increase from baseline in plasma CoQ10 concentrations following supplementation
with 100mg of CoQ10 (as delivered by four different formulas).
New Liquid Formula

Increase in Plasma CoQ10 (g/mL)
Current Liquid Formula

1
Tablet with Cyclodextrins

Tablet without Cyclodextrins
0.75
0.5
0.25
Time After Supplementation (hrs)
Figure 2
Comparison of area under the curve (AUC) for the eight-hour plasma
CoQ10 response curves shown in Figure 1.
AUC
4
3
2
1
0
New Liquid Formula
Current Liquid
Formula
Tablet with
Cyclodextrins
Tablet without
Cyclodextrins

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USANA HEALTH SCIENCES

CLINICAL RESEARCH BULLETIN

Comparative Bioavailability of Coenzyme Q10

oenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

many of the solubilizing ingredients are synthetic, and ideally

On the morning of the first

time. Statistical comparisons

gave virtually identical results

formed identically when results

New Liquid Formula

Current Liquid Formula

Tablet with Cyclodextrins

Time After Supplementation (hrs)

New Liquid Formula

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