Capsularis : the «new generation» liposomes Capsularis offers its vitamin C liposomes under the brand name L-Vital C®. Another offer for a company that has made vectorization of active ingredients its specialty? Not only: the technology used brings surprising solutions on the organoleptic level which renews the application of liposomes. When we prepared a drinkable solu- which allows the production of liposomes with a size tion with our liposomes, we were sur- between 150 and 300 nm, controlled by laser diffrac- prised by its very pleasant taste and its tion electron microscopy. Another advantage of this remarkable stability,» reveals Stéphane Lozachmeur, pharmaceutical equipment is that the technology al- founder and director of Capsularis. «This innova- lows to work at low temperatures, which contributes tion in the field of liposomes will allow us to carry the to a better preservation of the active ingredients. innovation of our customers ». Innovation is rooted Thanks to this technology and its mastery, « we have in the DNA of the company, which was founded in also taken the lead in the field of micro- and nano- 2008 and relies on a microencapsulation process de- dispersions, particularly in the liquid phase microni- veloped in-house - the company, which has near- zation ». Because it is « open » to many molecules, ly twenty employees, has its own R&D department, a vast field of developments is opening up for these with a pilot plant that allows to validate the scale-up. « new generation » liposomes. And if, for the moment, And from microencapsulation to liposomes, there European regulations (rather the lack of harmoniza- is only one step crossed with thosemarketedunder tion) still raise questions (see box), the potential is the brand L-VitalC®. « We took up the subject on the there. Especially since these liposomes with which one hand to be able to offer a Made in France sourcing it is possible to claim are compatible with many ac- and on the other hand because our expertise in mi- tive ingredients also in liquid form. In fact, not only croencapsulation made us think that we could bring L-Vital C® liposomes are based on a matrix innova- a differentiating element on the market ». In particu- tion, but also on the nanodispersion technology that lar, liposomes in a very stable liquid form. A major allows for micronization in the liquid phase. An exa- advance: the liposomes of vitamin C present on the mple is lavender milk, which is presented in the form market are in liquid or powder form; however, it is of a mircoemulsion with a portion in liposome form. in aqueous solution that liposomes can be organized As Stéphane Lozachmeur sumsup, « our knowledge in the form of a bilayer – a structure similar to that of one technology allows us to develop another ». This of our cells. Known in the pharmaceutical industry leads to unlimited innovation. • and in cosmetics for the transport and delivery of active ingredients, these lipid vesicles composed of one or more membranes with one or more lipid bi- layers – mainly phospholipids - are still a subject in QUE DIT LA RÈGLEMENTATION ? full discovery by the nutraceutical sector. The inte- rest of liposomes is that they can transport and pro- Le 15 octobre 2020, l’Agence européenne a ajouté la vitamine tect almost a wide family of molecules: hydrophilic C liposomale à la liste des ingrédients non concernés par la actives will be in the aqueous «core»; hydrophobic réglementation Novel Food, au motif que cette vitamine, sous cette or lipophilic ones are inserted into the lipid bilayer. forme, était sur le marché et consommée avant le 15 mai 1997. This biocompatibility between liposomes and our cells explains the better bioavailability and absorp- tion of the active ingredient. For vitamin C (sodium ascorbate and ascorbic acid), absorption is 1.7 times WHAT DOES THE LEGISLATION SAY? higher. In addition, vitamin C, which is naturally On October 15, 2020, the European Agency added liposomal sensitive to oxidation, is delivered in an intact form vitamin C to the list of ingredients not concerned by the Novel Food to the cell. To develop these liposomes, Capsularis’ regulation, on the grounds that this vitamin in this form was on the R&D team looked at nanolipid lipid vectors produc- market and consumed before May 15, 1997. tion technologies used in the pharmaceutical in- dustry, and equipped itself with a production unit, #75 - 541 -GAM s’fitcA