This page will give you better understanding of the benefits of SuperSorb and how the line of NanoGreens products have superior bioavailability. This article is intended for Doctors and Health Care Providers but essentially explains how the nutrients are more easily absorbed into our bodies with the patented technology used in these amazing products.
A:SuperSorb® is the trade mark name for BioPharma's iposomal technology. Sup[erSorb® creates single or multi-layered nanosized and sub –micron sized phospholipids fat vesicles that are prepackage ingredients for easy absorption by the enterocytes of the small intestine, directly through the skin, or via the sublingual and oral mucosa. Thereby, in each instance, they bypass the portal circulation and the liver. BioPharma's SuperSorb® technology is proven to significantly enhance bioavailability, even over standard liposome delivery systems.
A:YES, COMPLETELY! The warnings about the newer nanotechnologies usually refer to inorganic nanoparticles, nanotubes, quantum dots, gold nanoparticles, buckyballs, etc. These have nothing to do with our natural and organic liposomes. Our nanosized liposomes use FDA approved materials. NanoSorb® liposomes mimic processes that go in the body every time we eat fats.
The NanoSorb® liposome is a component of one or more patents, patent applications, regulatory filings and regulatory approvals. It has been in use in FDA approved medicines (Doxil, Ablecept, Nektar) and cosmetics (L’Oreal) for over 15 years and should not be confused with some legitimate concerns over the newer nano-technologies. What is new is the use in nutraceuticals for which BioPharma owns exclusive rights.
The nanosize of the NanoSorb® liposome is the same size range as the old tech phosphatidyl choline (PC) liposomes used for almost 40 years now, and in common use in supplements for 25, with not one symptom related to their "nanosize". The NanoSorb® liposome we use consists of PC molecules and glycol molecules. The PC is of course is an important nutrient in itself, and glycol {C2H4(OH)2 } is a "sugar alcohol" readily and safely excreted from the body in the urine.
About SuperSorb®
SuperSorb® is BioPharma Scientific's trademark for its enhanced delivery systems designed to promote greater absorption and utilization by the body. Any such benefit is generally described as increased bioavailability.
SuperSorb® Enhanced Delivery Systems currently include:
using forms of phytonutrients and zoonutrients that are more bioavailable.
using forms of vitamins or minerals that are more bioavailable
using micro-encapsulation to make ingredients more bioavailable.
Number one above is best exampled by the phytonutrient quercitn. Supplemental quercetin it is usually derived from the flavonoid rutin extracted from the seed pods of the Brazilian shrub "fava d'anta" (Dimorphandra mollis).
These are treated with acid to obtain quercetin as a very thin powder of greenish yellow color. This commonly found supplemental form of quercitin, however, is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract.
Fortunately, scientists have developed a proprietary procedure for conversion of the inactive precursors in fava beans to the a more biologically absorbable and therefore highly bioactive form called "isoquercitrin" AKA isoquercitn/rutin 50/50. This more effective form, though more expensive, is what we use in NanoGreens 10.
Number two above is best demonstrated by our use of a more bioavailable form of vitamin B6 in NanOmega 3. The activated form of vitamin B6, pyridoxal-5-phosphate or P-5-P, is the form of vitamin B6 that the body utilizes best. Because a large number of people can't convert vitamin B6 to P-5-P, we use the P-5-P form, the activated form of vitamin B6 in order to support the maximum benefits.
Even though it is ten times more expensive, here at BioPharma we think that regardless of what the vitamins may actually cost, the most "expensive" ones are the ones that don't work and cost us our health!
Another example is our use of the natural succinate form of vitamin E in NanOmega3. The succinate form crosses the blood-brain barrier better than other forms of vitamin E. Therefore it is more available as an lipid antioxidant to protect brain cells. Vitamin E succinate is also the best form for breast health as well.
Number three above refers to our natural phospholipid micro-encapsulation process. Indeed, the normal human digestion of fats includes our bodies making sub-micron sized “fat bodies”, made from phospholipids, especially phosphotidyl choline or PC. They help us absorb nutrients that are not highly bioavailble in water. Though very small,our SuperSorb microencapsulation process is NOT a new nanotechnology.
Why maximizing bioavailability of phytonutrients is of vital importance today.
To quote Jean Mayer of the USDA Human Nutrition, "Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA"...the effort to understand the health benefits of plant foods... is the characterization of their physiologically active constituents, the phytochemicals...As our knowledge grows...we will learn how best to create new products through altering their concentrations, combinations and/or their bioavailability."1
Fruits and vegetables are indeed rich in phytonutrients. However, the quotes below confirm that the bioavailability of phytochemicals can be a challenge to those designing high quality functional foods and phytonutrient supplements.
"The low solubility of free ellagic acid (a phytonutrient of the organic acid class derived from fruits and nuts, especially raspberries and wild tart cherries) is thought to be due to its low solubility in water." 2
"the bioavailability of quercetin-3-rutinoside is 17%" 3
"Bioavailability differs greatly from one polyphenol to another" 4
"In general,... epicatechins (polyphenols from green tea)... had low bioavailability..." 5
"Cyclic terpenoids-saponins and phytosterols- have structures similar to ...steroids...(which are) more soluble in oil than water." 6
"Delivery of natural carotenoids can be compromised by poor bioavailability." 7
"Consuming tomatoes with oil can increase the bioavailability of lycopene" 8
"Essentially no absorption of carotenoids was observed when salads with fat-free salad dressing were consumed." 9
The importance of delivery systems when formulating nutraceuticals is further underlined in the Journal of Drug Targeting ,
"...antioxidants, which are found in many phytochemicals,... are biologically unstable, poorly soluble in water, and poorly distributed to target sites... we bly advocate serious consideration of the bioavailability of dietary supplements... to improve their bioavailability using delivery ssystems…"10
Liposomes and Micelles: Mother Nature's Natural Nanotechnology!
"...the effort to understand the health benefits of plant foods... is the characterization of
their physiologically active constituents, the phytochemicals...As our knowledge
grows...we will learn how best to create new products through altering their
concentrations, combinations and/or their bioavailability." -Jean Mayer of the USDA
Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging1
Today, new nanotechnologies, full of promise, are being developed all the time. There is
however some understandable concerns with the use of the newer nanotechnologies in
our food and dietary supplements.2 Consumers are already worried about additives,
pesticides, genetic modification, irradiation, antibiotics and most recently cloned meats!
So it is important to know that Mother Nature has been using her own nanotechnology to
enhance bioavailability for millennia… and manufacturers have mimicked her natural
wisdom to safely and effectively enhance bioavailability for decades.
The purpose of this article is to make clear for the health professional that:
1) There are proven, safe, GRAS (generally recognized as safe by the FDA) “old
school” nanotechnologies, used in foods and supplements for decades, which use
the same strategies and basic materials as Mother Nature, and therefore need not
be avoided.
2) How and why the use of such technologies can enhance bioavailability, efficacy
and compliance of certain dietary supplements and functional food drink mixes
and therefore may be preferred.
Having such clarity, you should be better equipped to guide your patients and handle any
dietary supplement considerations vis-à-vis nanotechnology based on solid scientific
understanding.
Of course, all physiological processes on some level occur at the sub-micron, nanometer,
and even smaller picometer scale. An excellent example is digestion. Indeed, the whole
process of digestion involves making products smaller and smaller. Sometimes Mother
Nature subsequently even packages the digested nano-sized nutrients into nano-vesicles,
in order to make nutrients absorbable by the small intestine!
Excellent examples of such natural digestive nanotechnology packaging vehicles are
micelles and liposomes.
Mother Nature’s Problem
The problem Mother Nature had to solve is the following: how does she make an oil
soluble nutrient soluble in the watery environs of the small intestine? Proteins and
carbohydrates are more or less water soluble. You may recall that once they are broken
down small enough via mechanical actions, acids, bicarbonates and enzymes, they are
absorbed by the enterocytes of the microvilli of the mucosal layer of the small intestine
by either passing between their tight junctions or via active transport. Fats, however, are
absorbed differently. In order to break down fats bile and lecithin are added to the
mechanical actions, acids, bicarbonates and enzymes to breakup the fats and oils. But
even these very small fat globules are not soluble in water!
Mother Natures Nano-Technical Solution: Micelles and Liposomes
Mother Nature’s ingenious way of solving this conundrum is to create nano-sized
vesicles which are water soluble on the outside and carry the fat soluble nutrient on the
inside. We call these nano-vesicles micelles and liposomes.
Micelles
Micelle formation is essential for the emulsification and subsequent absorption of fat-
soluble nutrients like Vitamin E, D, K, the carotenoids and omega-3 EFAs. It is the bile
salts formed in the liver and secreted by the gall bladder that allow micelles of fatty acids
to form. These lipid spheres, pictured below, are a true natural nanotechnology, being
smaller than 100 nanometers in size.
A typical micelle is a nanosized vesicular membrane made soluble in water by having a
hydrophillic (water loving) “head” facing the outside while the hydrophobic (water
hating) “tails” surround the fat soluble nutrient inside.3 Such micelles formation is
known as emulsification, a process that allows a compound normally insoluble (in the
solvent being used) to dissolve. Technically, this natural formation is referred to as a
“nano-emulsion”.
Liposomes
Lipid spheres that contain an aqueous core are called liposomes, meaning literally "fat
body". Liposomes are different from micelles structurally in that they have a bilayer
membrane, shown above. In the body, natural liposomes, like micelles, are composed of
lecithin phospholipids. Though generally larger, they have the advantage of being able to
carry both fat soluble and water soluble nutrients.4 As depicted below, the fat soluble
ingredients are held in the white area between the hydrophobic tails, while water soluble
ingredients are held inside the blue area by the hydrophillic heads. The water loving
heads on the outside keep the liposome soluble in aqueous solution.
Liposomes can also be multi-laminar, like a ball within a ball within a ball, carrying a
much bigger payload of both water soluble and fat soluble ingredients. Multi-laminar
liposomes may reach up to perhaps 500 nm (.5 micron) in size.
Once nanosized fat nutrients are emulsified (“mycellized”) or encapsulated in liposomes,
they are absorbed by simple passive diffusion through the walls of the enterocytes of the
small intestine. They can do this more easily than proteins or carbohydrates because the
phospholipid membranes that makes up the micelle and liposome are similar to the
phospholipid membranes that make up the cell wall of the enterocytes.
Once inside the enterocytes the micelle or liposome are incorporated into chylomicrons.
Together, these travel thru the lymph system, bypassing the liver (portal circulation) into
the subclavian vein. In the blood stream these micelles and liposomes are digested by
lipoprotein lipases derived from the capillary walls, releasing the nutrients. The liposome
itself, being usually made of principally lecithin, becomes a nutrient source of
phospholipid choline (PC).5
Enhancing Absorption Mother Nature’s Way
"...antioxidants, which are found in many phytochemicals,... are biologically unstable,
poorly soluble in water, and poorly distributed to target sites... we strongly advocate
serious consideration of the bioavailability of dietary supplements... to improve their
bioavailability using delivery systems such as liposomal formulations." Journal of Drug
Targeting6
Paying attention to bioavailability is vital. As pertains to this discussion, it is well
established that eating salad with fat free dressings leads to essentially no absorption of
carotenoids! To quote the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition "Essentially no
absorption of carotenoids was observed when salads with fat-free salad dressing were
consumed."7 The main reason is that there is simply not fat in the meal to provide
stimulation of bile in order to promote micelle or liposome formation. Many greens
drinks rich in lipid phytonutrient terpenes like carotenoids, chromanols (vitamin E, K, Co
Q-10) and/or limonoids, when taken with just water or juice, will not have enough fat to
promote optimal liposome formation. Therefore, it follows that those who take green
drinks in just water or juice and do not take a significant amount of fat at the same time
to trigger bile release and subsequent liposome and micelle formation are likely failing to
absorb many of the fat soluble phytonutrients and vitamins. Indeed, as most greens
drinks do not have a lot of fat in them, and said product does not use liposomes, then the
above science argues that one should drink their greens along with consuming a
significant fat source simultaniously if one desires to maximize the absorption of fat
soluble phytonutrients like carotenoids such as lycopene or lutein, or amines like
chlorophyll, or Vitamins K and E, to name just a few.
Fortunately, pre-emulsifying by micellization, or pre-encapsulating in lecithin based
liposomes, are “nano-sizing” technologies that have been safely used for decades to make
fat soluble nutrients more bioavailable whether they are taken with a fatty meal or not.
This “anywhere / anytime” convenience greatly increases compliance and therefore
results.
Multi-laminar Liposomes: An Extra Bonus
Of course even non lipophillic ingredients can be hard to absorb, as the following quotes
demonstrate.
"The low solubility of free ellagic acid (a phytonutrient of the organic acid class derived
from fruits and nuts, especially raspberries and wild tart cherries) is thought to be due to
its low solubility in water."8
"the bioavailability of quercetin-3-rutinoside is 17%"9
"Bioavailability differs greatly from one polyphenol to another"10
"In general,... epicatechins (polyphenols from green tea)... had low bioavailability..."11
Multi-laminar liposomes can trap some portion of the above ingredients in their H20
loving layers, making them more bioavailable. This is also a viable strategy for B-12
whose absorption can be compromised by such common diseases of aging as atrophic
gastritis or certain common pharmaceuticals.
Even more interesting is the use of liposomes to protect delicate enzymes or peptides like
glutathione, a tripeptide, or very small peptide chains such as proline rich polypeptides
(PRP) from colostrum, from being destroyed by the acids and enzymes in the digestive 12 process.
Mother Knows Best
New exciting nanotechnologies are already here and many more are coming. Their
potential benefit has been acknowledged. Micelles and liposomes, both being true
nanotechnologies, have been used safely in cosmeceuticals, pharmaceuticals and dietary
supplements for decades. It is just that “back in the day” nobody used the “nano”
terminology! By demonstrating such a safe history, micelles and liposomes fall under the
FDA’s definition of GRAS, meaning “generally recognized as safe”. Nano-liposomes and
nano-micelles, both provided by and used by Mother Nature, can safely enhance the
bioavailability and clinical efficacy and compliance of a wide variety of dietary
supplements and functional food drink mixes.
1)
Mayer, J, -Functional Foods for Health Program, USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on
Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA
2)
Guy Montague-Jones, Commission develops code of conduct on nanotechnology, , NutraIngredients
USA, 2-12-08 http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=83199-nanotechnology-flavourpackaging
3)
J. M. Seddon, R. H. Templer. Polymorphism of Lipid-Water Systems, from the Handbook of
Biological Physics, Vol. 1, ed. R. Lipowsky, and E. Sackmann. (c) 1995, Elsevier Science B.V.
4) Torchilin VP. (2006)Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2006 Dec 1;58(14):1532-55
5) Keller, B, PhD, Liposomes, Power Point http://www.biopharmasci.com/downloads/nanosorb.ppt
6) Yoko Shojia,b, and Hideki Nakashimaa, Nutraceutics and Delivery Systems, Journal of Drug
Targeting, 12(6):385-391, 2004
7)
Brown MJ et al,.Carotenoid bioavailability is higher from salads ingested with full-fat than with fat-
reduced salad dressings as measured with electrochemical detection. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004
Aug;80(2):396
8)
Bioavailability of ellagic acid in human plasma after consumption of ellagitannins from pomegranate
(Punica granatum L.) juice. Seeram NP, Lee R, Heber D. Center for Human Nutrition, David Geffen
School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. nseeram@mednet.ucla.edu
9)
Olthof MR, Hollman PC, Vree TB, Katan MB. Bioavailabilities of quercetin-3-glucoside and quercetin-
4'-glucoside do not differ in humans. J Nutr. 2000 May;130(5):1200-3
10)
Manach C, Williamson G, Morand C, Scalbert A, Remesy C. Bioavailability and bioefficacy of
polyphenols in humans. Review of 97 bioavailability studies. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jan;81(1
Suppl):230S-242S.
11) Xu JZ, Yeung SY, Chang Q, Huang Y, Chen ZY. Comparison of antioxidant activity and bioavailability
of tea epicatechins with their epimers. Br J Nutr. 2004 Jun;91(6):873-81. 124)
12)
Chaize B, et al. Encapsulation of enzymes in liposomes: high encapsulation efficiency and control of
substrate permeability. Artificial Cells, Blood Substitutes, and Immobilization Technology 32(1):67-75
(2004).
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before taking any products or beginning any wellness program.
