Digestive degradation
Peptides and nucleotides are broken down by gastric acid and intestinal enzymes before absorption. Glutathione and NAD+ are the clearest cases.
The science
Why encapsulate at all
A liposome is a vesicle of phospholipids arranged in a bilayer, the same class of molecule that forms cell membranes. Water-soluble actives sit in the aqueous core; lipid-soluble actives sit within the bilayer itself.
Encapsulation is not useful for every ingredient. It is useful where a specific, documented barrier stands between the dose on the label and the amount that reaches circulation.
Across this catalogue
Four barriers
Every active in the catalogue is here because of at least one of them.
Poor aqueous solubility
Lipophilic actives barely dissolve in gut fluid, so little is available to absorb. Curcumin, resveratrol, quercetin and the carotenoids.
Transporter saturation
Vitamin C relies on saturable SVCT1 transporters; beyond that ceiling the extra dose is simply not absorbed. Vitamin B12 saturates the same way.
Instability on the shelf
Oxidation-sensitive actives degrade before they are consumed: omega-3, alpha-lipoic acid, tocopherols, crocin.
Evidence
What the published evidence supports
Vitamin C is the best-characterised case. Controlled human crossover studies report higher plasma AUC for liposomal than for standard oral vitamin C, and a 2025 UK Committee on Toxicity review summarising six human studies concluded that liposomal preparations appear to increase oral bioavailability.
A controlled pilot study of liposomal glutathione reported raised body stores of GSH where an earlier trial of standard oral glutathione had not.
What we do not claim
Published studies describe the named actives in the formulations, doses and populations each study used. They are not claims about Lipophyte™ products, and they are not claims that any product diagnoses, treats, cures or prevents disease.
Where comparative data on our own material exists, we supply it; where it does not, we say so.
Our own characterisation data
Transmission electron micrographs of our vesicles, the DLS size-distribution trace and the water-dispersion comparison are being produced now. Each will be published here, per platform, with the method and the instrument stated.
TEM / cryo-TEM micrograph
Vesicle morphology with a scale bar.
In preparation
DLS size distribution
Z-average and polydispersity index trace.
In preparation
Dispersion in water
Free active against the liposomal powder, side by side.
In preparation