Bioavailability assessment of the lipophilic benfotiamine as compared to a water-soluble thiamin derivative.
The bioequivalence of thiamin in 2 therapeutically used preparations was tested in 10 healthy young men. Thiamin was orally administered either as lipophilic benfotiamine or as water-soluble thiamin mononitrate. Biokinetic data, measured as area under the curve and maximal concentration in plasma and hemolysate after ingestion, demonstrated a significantly improved bioavailability from the lipophilic derivative despite an ingested dose of only 40% as compared with the water-soluble salt. A superior cellular efficacy of benfotiamine was also concluded from the short-term stimulation of the thiamin-dependent transketolase activity in erythrocytes.
Bitsch
R
R
FB 6 - Home Economics, Section Nutritional Science, University Paderborn, FRG.
Wolf
M
M
Möller
J
J
Heuzeroth
L
L
Grüneklee
D
D
D000328:Adult; D001682:Biological Availability; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012995:Solubility; D013831:Thiamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D014174:Transketolase / Q000097:blood; D014867:Water
D014867:Water; D014174:Transketolase; D013831:Thiamine; C013835:benphothiamine