Characterization and bioavailability of a novel coenzyme Q 10 nanoemulsion used as an infant formula supplement.

Supplementation with Coenzyme Q ₁₀ (CoQ ₁₀ ), in patients with its deficiency, has greater odds of success if the treatment is carried out early with an appropriate formulation. For neonatal CoQ ₁₀ deficiency, infant formula supplementation could be an attractive option. However, solid CoQ ₁₀ cannot be solubilized or dispersed in milk matrix leading to an inefficient CoQ ₁₀ dosage and poor intestinal absorption. We developed and characterized a high-dose CoQ ₁₀ oil-in-water (O/W) nanoemulsion suitable to supplement infant formula without modifying its organoleptic characteristics. CoQ ₁₀ powder and soy lecithin were solubilized in an oil phase consisted of Labrasol® and Labrafac ^TM . The aqueous phase was Tween 80, TPGS, methylparaben and propylparaben. O/W nanoemulsion was prepared by adding dropwise the oil phase to the aqueous phase under stirring to a final concentration of CoQ ₁₀ 9.5 % w/w followed by ultrasonic homogenization. Pharmacotechnical parameters were determined. This formulation resulted to be easily to be dispersed in milk matrix, stable for at least 90 days, with no cytotoxicity in in vitro assays, and higher bioavailability than CoQ ₁₀ powder. CoQ ₁₀ nanoemulsion supplementation in the infant formula facilitates the individualized administration for the child with accurate dosage, overcome swallowing difficulties and in turn could increase the treatment adherence and efficacy.
Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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