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NanoScience Glossary and FAQ
Q: What is NanoScience?
Q: What is Nanobiotechnology?
Q: What is "nanosized"?
Q: What is a nanoceutical or nanonutrient?
Q: Why nanosize nutraceuticals?
Q: What is a Nano-bio-technology delivery sytem?
Q: What is NanoSorb®?
Q: I heard there may be some danger with Nanotechnology in foods. Is NanoSorb® proven safe?
A: NanoScience is the development of methods for fabrication, synthesis, and characterization of materials at the nanometer scale. A nanometer (nm) is one-billionth of a meter. Although definitions vary, it is typically accepted that dimensions and tolerances in the range of 200 nanometers to 0.1 nanometers are in the realm of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology can refer to the cutting edge of a very broad range of fields operating at the molecular level such as biotechnology, medical diagnostics and treatment, ceramic and organic materials synthesis, sensors, and electronics. BioPharma's NanoSorb® consists of lecithin based liposomes of 50 to 500 nm. Liposomes, which have been used safely in supplements for decades and may be considered "old school nanoscience", are considered safe by the FDA (GRAS).
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A: Nano-bio-technology is an interface technology integrating elements of both nanotechnology and biotechnology. Nanobiotechnology aims at developing methods and materials which are applicable in biology, medicine, medical engineering, cosmetics and functional foods.
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A: Nanosizing can be liberally understood to mean reducing or creating a particle to less than micrometer size. (1000 nm = 1 um). Technically, nanotechnology refers to things less than 100 nm is size. Particles that are simply sized down in increments to nano-size range are said to use a "top/down" process, called incremental nanotechnology. Particles that are created or engineered to help optimize utility by properties not just attributed to small size, use a "bottom /up" creation process, and are called evolutionary nanotechnology, which is the true frontier. Liposomes, whether the ones your own body makes or lecithin based liposomes like NanoSorb®, are evolutionary in nature, though technically as large as 500 nm.
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A: These are nutrients or nutraceuticals that have been "nanosized" through incremental or evolutionary nanotechnologies. In the human body this is accomplished when fat soluble nutrients are initially digested and then emulsified into micelles or naturally encapsulated in liposomes.
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A: Nutraceuticals today are often taken in capsule form or as ingredients in functional foods with the intention that the nutraceutical will be beneficial. However, nutritional experts say that many nutraceuticals are not highly bioavailable. In such cases the nutritional effect is usually less than optimal and too often marginal. Being unavailable for assimilation, they exit through the body's digestive system. Of note, the same problem of poor bioavailability is true of the cosmeceuticals, such as face creams, which are not efficiently absorbed through the skin.
By encapsulating certain ingredients in liposomes, they may pass more easily through intestinal, skin and cell membranes, increasing true bioavailability. Not only are functional foods, nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals and pharmaceuticals delivered this way more bioavailable, by not "wasting" product, dosage size can be lessened, increasing economy and compliance.
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A: Nano-bio-technology delivery systems are a strategy for achieving the optimal benefits of otherwise poorly absorbable nutraceuticals, phytonutrients, cosmeceuticals and pharmaceuticals.
As pertains to BioPharma's NanoSorb(tm), when put in water the lipid molecules of our technology self-assemble into self-closed membranes arranged as a lipid bi-layers. Water-soluble substances added to the water get trapped inside the vesicles; fat-soluble ingredients get incorporated into the lipid membrane of the vesicles. The lipid membrane of the liposome can fuse with other membranes (e.g. intestinal cell membrane, skin cells, sublingual cells), thus delivering the liposome contents. By making liposomes in a solution of substances which would normally be unable to diffuse through cell membrane, the substances can be delivered past the membrane. Liposomes are widely used as carriers of antibiotics, anti-tumor drugs, organic phyto-nutrients, antioxidants, ATP, hemoglobin and vitamins, thus enhancing their bioavailability.
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A:
NanoSorb® is the trade mark name for BioPharma's iposomal technology. NanoSorb creates single or multi-layered nanosized and sub –micron sized phospholipids fat vesicles that are prepackage ingredients for easy absorption by the enterocytes of the small intestine, directly through the skin, or via the sublingual and oral mucosa. Thereby, in each instance, they bypass the portal circulation and the liver. BioPharma's NanoSorb technology is proven to significantly enhance bioavailability, even over standard liposome delivery systems.
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A:YES, COMPLETELY! The warnings about the newer nanotechnologies usually refer to inorganic nanoparticles, nanotubes, quantum dots, gold nanoparticles, buckyballs, etc. These have nothing to do with our natural and organic liposomes. Our nanosized liposomes use FDA approved materials (PEGylation is an FDA approved process ). Our NanoSorb® liposomes mimic processes that go in the body every time we eat fats.
The NanoSorb® molecule is a component of one or more patents, patent applications, regulatory filings and regulatory approvals. It has been in use in FDA approved medicines (Doxil, Ablecept, Nektar) and cosmetics (L’Oreal) for over 15 years and should not be confused with some legitimate concerns over the newer nano-technologies. What is new is the use in nutraceuticals for which BioPharma owns exclusive rights.
The nanosize of the NanoSorb® liposome is the same size range as the old tech phosphatidyl choline (PC) liposomes used for almost 40 years now, and in common use in supplements for 25, with not one symptom related to their "nanosize". The NanoSorb® liposome we use consists of PC molecules and glycol molecules. The PC is of course is an important nutrient in itself, and glycol {C2H4(OH)2 } is a "sugar alcohol" readily and safely excreted from the body in the urine.
The technology used in BioPharma's products has been used safely in pharmaceuticals and cosmeceuticals for over 15 years. Click the toxicology study for your review.
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