Sustained release for nutrition

The sustained release technology provides the release of an effective amount of active ingredient over time and at a continuous rate.  It grants several benefits for formulators and consumers.

The main advantages for formulators are:

• Optimizing the dosage of active ingredients by providing benefits over several hours, more specifically for ingredients with slow absorption rate 
• Providing high-value solutions and marketing differentiation 

Moreover, consumers can benefit from:

• Reducing daily intakes and enhance the consumer compliance
• Improving the efficiency of the treatment (uniform delivery of active over time)
• Decrease potential side effects due to the peak of active ingredients

The importance of sustained release of active ingredients

The modified release differs from the conventional one (immediate release) through the use of special formulation and productive technologies involving a deliberate modification of the speed and/or the release site - starting from the same route of administration.

The most common modified forms of release are delayed release and sustained release.

_{Delayed release}

Release after a certain amount of time, it works as a stop/go mechanism. 

For instance, it can be controlled by the environment pH (gastro resistance)

A gastro resistance can be used:

• If the active substance needs to be release in the intestine (AI sensitive to acidic pH of the stomach) 
• To protect the stomach from aggressive active
• To avoid unpleasant tastes of some actives

_{Sustained release}

Release begins as with an immediate release system but at a continuous rate over several minutes/hours.

It is a continuous mechanism driven by the characteristics of active ingredients used and by the technology and ingredients deployed.

A sustained release can be used:

• To have a release, independently of the pH
• To modulate the release kinetic 
• For different active ingredients or for a mix of actives