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Key Words
Coenzyme Q10 * Bioavailability * Antioxidant * Yeast * Fermentation
Abstract
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ1O) is synthesized by the human body and found in certain foods. Daily supplementation of CoQ10 could protect against heart disease but the bioavailability of CoQ10 supplements depends on the formulation taken. We compared the bioavailability and antioxidant properties of two commercial CoQ10 formulations, a commercial grade CoQ10 powder (commercial grade CoQ) and a new BT-CoQ10 BIO-TRANSFORMED(R) (BT-CoQ10) obtained by fermentation of a soy-based, CoQ10-rich media with baker's yeast. Eleven healthy individuals participated in a randomized two-way crossover trial, with a 3-week washout period. Capsules containing 300 mg of either BT-CoQ10 or commercial grade CoQ10 were given daily for 1 week and multiple blood samples were taken for CoQ10, glutathione and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) determination. In 3 subjects, baseline plasma CoQ10 levels were lower prior to BT than prior to commercial grade CoQ treatment. In the remaining participants, ingestion of BT vs. commercial
grade CoQ significantly increased maximum plasma CoQ10 concentration (+126%, p = 0.04) and tended to increase CoQ10 area under the curve from 0 to 24 h (+160%, p = 0.07). One week of treatment with each formulation increased plasma CoQ10 but did not alter plasma glutathione or GPx activity. The enhanced bioavailability of the BT product might be due to its predominantly reduced. hydrophilic membrane-complex form.
Introduction
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an obligatory redox component of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, which is also postulated to protect LDL from the oxidative damage. Several studies suggest that CoQ10 plays an important role in cardiovascular health [1]. Low myocardial tissue CoQ10 levels have been found in patients with cardiovascular disease [2] and low ratios between the reduced and oxidized form of CoQ10 were reported in patients with angiographically confirmed coronary artery disease [3]. Plasma CoQ10 concentrations were also found to be reduced by treatment with statins [4].
CoQ10 is produced in the body as well as obtained from dietary sources. It has been postulated that daily CoQ10 supplementation could benefit individuals at risk of or suffering from heart disease. Previous experimental and human studies showed that dietary CoQ10 supplements are bioavailable but their uptake into the bloodstream is dependent on the formulation [5, 6]. The antioxidant...