Coenzyme Q 10: Clinical update and Bioavailability

Abstract

Coenzyme Q 10(CoQ 10) supplementation has been reported to be beneficial in treating a variety of health conditions and diseases, with more than 200 clinical trials investigating its use as a drug or dietary supplement. Numerous reviews of the safety and clinical potential of CoQ 10 have been published. Successful treatment and efficacy is dependent on the bioavailability of CoQ 10, which is well known to be poor because of its lipophilic nature and large molecular weight. A number of recent clinical trials on CoQ 10 have investigated new formulations of CoQ 10 for improvements in absorption and bioavailability. This review provides an update of clinical efficacy trials using CoQ 10 and describes recent advances in formulation technology to improve the bioavailability of CoQ 10. The authors also discuss a new method to improve the standards of reporting the bioavailability results of such advanced CoQ 10 formulations to help clinicians and consumers make informed decisions. © The Author(S) 2011.