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

CoQ10 and PQQ

Coenzyme Q10 is one of the hardest supplement ingredients to absorb: at 863 Da and almost completely water-insoluble, a large fraction of an oral dose passes through unabsorbed. PQQ is the opposite case, a small polar molecule whose delivery questions are stability and dose rather than solubility. Both are sold as supplement ingredients, and neither is an approved drug in the US or EU.

What they are and where they act

CoQ10 (ubiquinone, reduced form ubiquinol) is an electron carrier in the inner mitochondrial membrane, shuttling electrons from complexes I and II to complex III, and a lipid-soluble antioxidant in membranes and lipoproteins. The body synthesizes it through the mevalonate pathway, the same pathway statins inhibit. Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ, 330 Da) is a redox cofactor found in trace amounts in foods such as natto, parsley and kiwi. Its proposed roles in mammals, including signaling linked to mitochondrial biogenesis, rest mainly on cell and rodent data.

Regulatory status and evidence tier

CoQ10 is a dietary supplement ingredient in the US and is covered by a Health Canada natural health product monograph. Human trial evidence exists, including a randomized trial in chronic heart failure (Q-SYMBIO), but Vegalab makes no treatment claims and a trial in one population does not transfer to general supplement use. PQQ disodium salt is authorized in the EU as a novel food following an EFSA safety opinion. Human data for PQQ are limited to small trials on biomarkers and subjective endpoints. Neither compound is on the WADA Prohibited List.

The delivery problem

CoQ10 absorption is slow (peak plasma around 6 hours), dose-dependent and highly variable between individuals, and it depends on bile and dietary fat for micellar solubilization. Crystalline CoQ10 must dissolve before it can be absorbed, and ubiquinol, while better absorbed in some studies, oxidizes readily on exposure to air, which complicates manufacture and shelf life. PQQ is water-soluble but reactive: it can undergo redox cycling and interact with amino acids, so matrix compatibility and dose accuracy in multi-ingredient products are the practical issues.

Formulation routes in use

Commercial approaches for CoQ10 include oil-filled softgels, solubilized forms with polysorbate or cyclodextrin complexes, and emulsified or nano-dispersed forms. Published comparisons show that formulation changes exposure several-fold, which means product claims based on one form cannot be assumed for another. For PQQ, the main levers are salt form, moisture protection and separation from reactive co-ingredients. For combination products, CoQ10 and PQQ are best kept in separate phases, since their optimal carriers differ.

Key facts

CoQ10 has a molecular weight of about 863 Da, very high lipophilicity and slow, variable oral absorption with peak plasma levels around 6 hours after dosing (Bhagavan and Chopra 2006, Free Radic Res 40:445)
In the Q-SYMBIO randomized trial, CoQ10 was studied as an adjunct in chronic heart failure; this is a trial result, not an approved indication (Mortensen et al. 2014, JACC Heart Fail 2:641)
PQQ disodium salt is authorized as a novel food in the EU after an EFSA safety assessment (EFSA NDA Panel 2017, EFSA Journal)
Health Canada publishes a natural health product monograph for coenzyme Q10 (Health Canada NHPD monograph, Coenzyme Q10)

How our delivery technology applies

For CoQ10 the target is dissolution, not permeation. Holding CoQ10 in an amorphous, lipid-rich core inside a multi-layer biopolymer shell presents it to the gut already dispersed, reducing dependence on meal fat and bile, while an outer barrier layer limits oxygen contact for ubiquinol. For PQQ, a separate shell isolates the quinone from reactive amino acids in combination products. We treat this as a formulation program with bioavailability to be measured, not assumed.

Developing a CoQ10 or PQQ product? Request a feasibility study for an encapsulated form.