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Pharma

Natural phospholipids

We are specialised in the extraction and purification of phospholipids for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications. Using innovative technologies in research and development of phospholipids, we offer a variety of highly purified phosphatidylcholine products originated from soybean and sunflower seed.

Lecithin

Lecithin is the generic term describing the mixture of fatty acids, glycolipids and phospholipids mainly consisting of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and other minor fractions including phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI) and etc. Lecithin was first isolated from egg yolk by Gobley in 1846, and it is typically derived from egg yolk, soybean, sunflower seed or rapeseed. Lecithin and phospholipids are widely applied in various chemical industries mostly as emulsifiers and release agents.

Phosphatidylcholine

The purified phospholipid is commonly called phosphatidylcholine. The phosphatidylcholine is a vital component of the cell membrane in all living organisms and its water-like polar head and oil-like non-polar tail makes it amphipathic. Natural phosphatidylcholine can be obtained from animal (e.g. chicken egg) and plant (e.g. soybean, sunflower seed) sources, and owing to its particular chemical properties and biocompatibilities, phosphatidylcholine has been used as emulsifier, solubiliser, wetting agent and precursor of liposome.

Phosphatidylcholine in drug delivery systems

The drug delivery systems (DDS) have been researched widely. Encapsulating and delivering therapeutic compounds in liposome is one of the examples of DDS. Liposomes are vesicles mainly composed of phospholipids, and its structure is similar to cellular membrane. Liposomes have attracted attention as carriers of therapeutic drugs for more than 40 years. Phospholipids have the characteristics of exceptional biocompatibility and amphiphilicity, and these properties make phospholipids most suitable to be applied as important pharmaceutical excipients for DDS. Liposomes, intravenous lipid emulsions, micelle, drug phospholipids complexes and cochelates are the type of carriers for DDS all based on the phospholipids. The applications of phospholipids in DDS have advantages of enhancing bioavailability of drugs with low aqueous solubility, reducing toxicity and improving drug stability.

Vaccination vaccine vial dose flu shot drug needle syringe

Parenteral drug delivery

Find out more about our range of Super Refined™ excipients.
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fish oil capsules

Nutritional supplements

Find out more about our Incromega™ range here.
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depiction of phosphatidylcholine

Emulsifier & drug delivery for pharmaceutical applications

Very often, phospholipids offer a more reliable approach to increasing bioavailability. They improve solubility and dissolution rate of drugs, especially those that are difficult to dissolve in water (BCS class II). Phospholipids speed up resorption of drugs before they reach the small intestine and are decomposed there.

  • Oral delivery
  • Transmucosal (buccal, nasal, pulmonary)
  • Otologic delivery
  • Dermal delivery (topical, transdermal)
  • Injectables
  • Ophthalmic delivery.

Our products:

Product Chemical name Function Specification Monograph
DS-PL95E Refined egg yolk lecithin Pharmaceutical emulsifier Phospholipids ≥ 95% USP/NF Order sample
DS-PL95EN Refined egg yolk lecithin Pharmaceutical emulsifier
Phospholipids ≥ 95% USP/NF Order sample
Soya PC100-C Soybean lecithin (phosphatidylcholine) Pharmaceutical emulsifier
Liposome precursor
Phosphatidylcholine ≥ 95% USP/NF Order sample
Soya PC80-C Soybean lecithin (phosphatidylcholine) Pharmaceutical emulsifier
Liposome precursor
Phosphatidylcholine ≥ 73% USP/NF Order sample