Nutraceuticals

Membership of this category is defined by function rather than chemistry, so its products come from four different routes. Fermentation gives Coenzyme Q10 and Arachidonic Acid Oil, sold as ARA. Animal tissue gives Chondroitin Sulphate and its sodium salt, extracted from cartilage. Vegetable oil refining gives Phytosterols, recovered from deodoriser distillate. Synthesis gives Choline Chloride and most Betaine.

Three axes matter when comparing them. The first is assay and the method behind it, a live issue for chondroitin because titration and enzymatic results diverge. The second is raw material origin, since bovine, porcine and avian chondroitin carry different religious and regulatory consequences. The third is physical form: coenzyme Q10 is supplied as crystalline powder, as a water dispersible beadlet and as an oil suspension, and ARA is sold either as oil or spray dried onto a carrier at a much lower active level.