Assortment of dietary supplement capsules containing liposomal iron in Lithuania: analysis of excipients and origin countries
Background. Iron supplements are commonly used for the prevention and treatment of iron deficiency and certain types of anaemia. However, the limits of oral iron supplementation are poor absorption, metallic flavour, stomach upset, diarrhoea or constipation. Studies have shown that liposomal iron supplementation has higher bioavailability than non-liposomal supplementation and prevents common side effects such as constipation and gastrointestinal discomfort. Capsules are one of the dosage forms used for oral liposomal iron delivery. Aim. The aim of the current study was to find out the excipient content and origin countries of dietary supplement capsules with liposomal iron in the Lithuanian market. Methods. In this work, 9 Lithuanian market dietary supplement capsules containing liposomal iron were analysed. As information sources websites including vet.lt and eurovaistine.lt were used. Data were analysed by Microsoft Excel 2019. Results. Excipient content was analysed for 9 dietary supplement capsules with liposomal iron. There were 6 different categories of excipients. Those categories were: fillers, colorants, coat-forming agents, solvents, emulsifiers and anticaking agents. For emulsifiers, the most common was lecithin, which was used in all analysed dietary supplement capsules. Lecithin is a source of phospholipids which are important in liposome formulation. Lecithin phospholipids are amphipathic molecules encapsulating hydrophilic substances in the inner water compartment and hydrophobic molecules in the bilayer of phospholipids. Lecithin is also regarded as a non-toxic emulsifier. Cornstarch was used in 89% of analysed capsules as a coating material for liposomes to increase their stability. Magnesium stearate as an anti-caking agent was present in all analysed dietary supplement capsule formulations. The amount of iron in analysed capsules was between 14 mg to 30 mg per capsule. The recommended daily iron intake for adults 19–50 years is 8 mg for men and 18 mg for women. Ferric pyrophosphate was used as the form of iron for liposomal delivery in all analysed supplement capsules. According to the country of manufacturer, the major group of liposomal capsules were distributed from Switzerland (3), Lithuania (2) and Italy (2). Conclusion. From the data presented it can be concluded that dietary supplement capsules containing liposomal iron are common in Lithuanian drugstores. All excipients play an important role in capsule content. This study helps to understand the properties and benefits of dietary supplement capsules formulated with liposomal iron.