A quiet analytical research laboratory at night, racks of glass vials along a dim bench.

Mitochondrial Function: Getting Actives Past Two Membranes

Mitochondria sit behind the cell membrane and their own double membrane, so a compound that reaches the blood still has to reach the organelle. The field ranges from one FDA-approved peptide (elamipretide, for Barth syndrome) to widely sold supplements with weak absorption. The delivery problem is solubility for quinones and stability and uptake for peptides.

The biology in brief

Mitochondria produce most cellular ATP through oxidative phosphorylation across the inner membrane, where cardiolipin anchors the electron transport chain. With age and in several inherited disorders, respiratory capacity falls, reactive oxygen species rise, and damaged mitochondria are cleared less efficiently by mitophagy. Research targets include electron carriers (CoQ10), cofactors (NAD+, L-carnitine for fatty acid transport), mitophagy inducers (urolithin A, spermidine) and cardiolipin-binding peptides (SS-31). Each sits at a different evidence tier, and none is approved for general mitochondrial health.

Evidence and regulatory status

Elamipretide (SS-31) received FDA accelerated approval in 2025 as Forzinity for Barth syndrome, a rare cardiolipin disorder; it is a prescription injectable, not a wellness product. MOTS-c is a mitochondria-derived peptide studied mainly in mice and is an unapproved research compound. CoQ10, PQQ, L-carnitine and urolithin A are sold as dietary supplement or natural health product ingredients in several markets, each under its own permitted claims. Human efficacy data for general populations remain limited and mixed.

Why delivery decides the outcome

CoQ10 has a molecular weight near 863 Da and is extremely lipophilic, so oral absorption is slow, low and highly variable between people. Urolithin A depends on gut microbes when made from dietary ellagitannins; direct supplementation bypasses that step but still faces low solubility. Peptides such as SS-31 and MOTS-c are cleaved by proteases and cleared quickly, which is why current use is by injection. See the solubility, protease and half-life challenge pages for the mechanisms.

Key facts

Elamipretide received FDA accelerated approval as Forzinity for Barth syndrome in 2025 (FDA label, Forzinity 2025, NDA 215244)
CoQ10 absorption is slow and limited by its high molecular weight and very low water solubility (Bhagavan and Chopra 2006, Free Radic Res 40:445)
Urolithin A 500 to 1,000 mg daily for 4 weeks induced a muscle mitochondrial gene expression signature in older adults (Andreux et al. 2019, Nat Metab 1:595)
MOTS-c, a mitochondrial-encoded peptide, regulated insulin sensitivity and metabolic homeostasis in mice (Lee et al. 2015, Cell Metab 21:443)

How our delivery technology applies

For lipophilic quinones such as CoQ10, the delivery lever is dispersion: nano-scale encapsulation holds the molecule in a finely divided state so it does not rely on bile-salt solubilization alone. For peptides, the lever is protection: multiple biopolymer layers can reduce enzyme access and slow release. Neither changes the organelle-targeting problem inside the cell, which is set by the molecule itself. Vegalab treats mitochondrial actives as feasibility projects with measured dissolution and stability endpoints.

Bring a mitochondrial active to a feasibility study with Vegalab.