Dihydromyricetin (DHM), also known as ampelopsin, is a dihydroflavonol compound widely found in plants and has multiple pharmacological functions, such as anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, liver protection and neuroprotection. As a functional raw material, dihydromyricetin is widely used in health foods, medicines and functional skin care products. However, an important problem faced by dihydromyricetin in practical applications is its poor water solubility, which directly affects the bioavailability in these fields. Therefore, improving its solubility is a key way to solve the bioavailability.
Our company, Xi'an Kintai Biotech Inc., is a leading company specializing in the production of high-quality dihydromyricetin products. We are committed to providing customers with dihydromyricetin powders with different solubility and application forms to meet diverse market needs. Our current products include Dihydromyricetin 98% (fat-soluble) and Dihydromyricetin 30% (water-soluble). In this article, we will introduce in detail the solubility of dihydromyricetin, the influencing factors, and how to use the advantages of our products to meet the needs of different application scenarios.
Basic characteristics of dihydromyricetin
Dihydromyricetin belongs to the dihydroflavonoids, and its molecular structure contains 3,5,7,3',4',5'-hexahydroxyl structures, which give dihydromyricetin excellent antioxidant properties. However, this structure also leads to its low solubility in water. Generally, the solubility of dihydromyricetin in room temperature water is about 0.2 mg/mL, which is a natural compound with poor water solubility. In contrast, it has better solubility in organic solvents such as ethanol and methanol, so other dissolution methods are often needed in applications to improve its water solubility.
Water solubility of dihydromyricetin and its influencing factors
1. Overview of water solubility
The solubility of dihydromyricetin in room temperature water is low, which is related to the characteristics of its molecular structure. Although dihydromyricetin has multiple hydroxyl groups on its molecule, which makes it hydrophilic, this hydrophilicity is not enough to offset the hydrophobic part of its molecule, so its overall water solubility is still poor. According to existing research, the solubility of dihydromyricetin in 25°C water is about 263.54 mg/L, which cannot meet the needs of some applications, especially in medicines and health foods, where poor water solubility will directly affect the absorption effect of the human body.
2. Changes in solubility with temperature
The solubility of dihydromyricetin increases with increasing temperature. For example, when it is added to hot water, its solubility will increase significantly. But at the same time, high temperature will reduce the chemical stability of dihydromyricetin, making it easy to oxidize and decompose. Therefore, although heating can temporarily increase the solubility of dihydromyricetin, this method is not suitable for all practical applications, especially for products that need to be stored or prepared for a long time.
3. The effect of solvent selection on solubility
The solubility of dihydromyricetin in different types of solvents varies significantly. The solubility in common solvents is roughly ranked as follows: hot water, hot ethanol and acetone (easily soluble) > ethanol, methanol (soluble) > ethyl acetate (very slightly soluble) > chloroform, petroleum ether (insoluble). In organic solvents such as ethanol and methanol, dihydromyricetin has a high solubility and can be used with a mixture of water-ethanol to increase its solubility in water. However, in the field of food and medicine, the safety of the solvent and its effect on taste must also be considered when choosing a suitable solvent.
4. Effect of pH on solubility and stability
Dihydromyricetin is relatively stable under acidic conditions, but is prone to decomposition in alkaline environments. Studies have shown that dihydromyricetin maintains stability in an acidic environment of pH 3-6, while its decomposition rate is significantly accelerated under alkaline conditions (such as pH 8.0 and 9.0). For water solubility, an increase in pH usually helps to increase the solubility of dihydromyricetin, but will significantly reduce its stability. Therefore, in practical applications, especially in oral preparations or functional beverages, how to maintain the stability of dihydromyricetin while maintaining solubility is still a difficult problem that needs to be solved.
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Concentration-of-DHM-depending-on-alkalinity_fig5_343460048
5. Chemical stability of dihydromyricetin molecules
The chemical structure of dihydromyricetin contains multiple hydroxyl groups, especially the hydroxyl groups on the B ring, which are easily oxidized under light, high temperature, and alkaline conditions. This instability indirectly affects solubility because, in some applications, it is necessary to avoid exposure to adverse environments to ensure that it does not decompose. Studies have found that dihydromyricetin is relatively stable under acidic conditions, but it is easily degraded into non-flavonoid compounds under alkaline and high temperatures. Therefore, in practical applications, the solubility and stability of dihydromyricetin must be considered comprehensively to extend the product's shelf life and ensure its pharmacological activity.
Methods for improving the water solubility of dihydromyricetin
Because of the low solubility of dihydromyricetin in water, researchers have used a variety of technical means to improve its water solubility to meet the application needs in different fields. The following are some commonly used methods:
Inclusion technology: Inclusion technology uses macrocyclic molecules (such as β-cyclodextrin) to encapsulate dihydromyricetin in a hydrophobic inner cavity, while the hydrophilic outer layer helps its solubility in water. This type of technology can significantly improve the water solubility of dihydromyricetin and form a molecular emulsion for easy absorption. Inclusion technology is common in pharmaceutical preparations and can improve the stability and bioavailability of dihydromyricetin.
Microemulsification technology: Microemulsification technology can disperse dihydromyricetin into nano-scale particles, increase its dispersion in water, and thus improve solubility. Microemulsification can also form a stable molecular emulsion, making it clear and transparent in water, which is suitable for a variety of dosage forms such as functional beverages and solid beverages.
Chemical structure modification: By introducing hydrophilic groups into the molecular structure of dihydromyricetin, its water solubility can be improved. For example, etherification or esterification reactions are carried out at the hydroxyl position on the A ring or B ring, which significantly improves the solubility of dihydromyricetin in water. However, this method may affect its original pharmacological activity and needs to be designed with caution.
Use of dissolution promoter: Adding an appropriate amount of dissolution promoter or surfactant to the formula can improve the solubility of dihydromyricetin in water. This method is often used to prepare dihydromyricetin functional beverages or health products, but the amount of addition needs to be controlled to avoid affecting the taste or causing other side effects.
About kintai's dihydromyricetin products
In response to this problem of low solubility and poor stability, we have conducted in-depth research and technical optimization and launched two products with different solubility to achieve higher bioavailability in different application scenarios.
1. Dihydromyricetin 98% (fat-soluble)
Dihydromyricetin 98% is a high-purity dihydromyricetin powder with a purity of more than 98%. It is mainly used in scenarios with fat solubility requirements, such as oil-based health products, medicines and cosmetics. This product has been purified to significantly improve its solubility in lipid solvents (such as ethanol and methanol). Due to its high purity and high fat solubility, Dihydromyricetin 98% is very suitable for use as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredient in cosmetics, and can penetrate deep into the skin to exert a skin care effect. In addition, the high stability of the product in oily media allows it to play a longer-lasting role in skin care products.
2. Dihydromyricetin 30% (water-soluble)
Dihydromyricetin 30% is a water-soluble dihydromyricetin powder treated with inclusion technology, designed for applications that require rapid dissolution in water. Through inclusion technology, dihydromyricetin molecules are combined with cyclodextrin to form a hydrophilic molecular structure, thereby forming a molecular emulsion in water. Its solubility in cold water can reach 20 mg/mL, and the solution is clear and stable. After testing, the product has a retention rate of up to 98.9% after storage in an acidic aqueous solution for 12 months, which is very suitable for beverages, functional foods and convenient nutritional supplements.
3. This year we developed efficient inclusion technology and microemulsification technology. We combine dihydromyricetin molecules with cyclodextrin to form an inclusion structure with a hydrophilic shell and a hydrophobic inner cavity. This structure not only ensures the solubility of dihydromyricetin in water, but also improves its stability in an alkaline environment, thereby increasing intestinal absorption efficiency and significantly improving bioavailability.
In addition, our microemulsification technology disperses dihydromyricetin into nano-scale molecules, improving its dispersibility and stability in aqueous and oily matrices. This technology can not only improve its applicability in different preparations, but also effectively reduce the impact of taste, making it more in line with consumer needs in terminal applications.
Advantages and application scenarios of our products
Liquid beverages: Dihydromyricetin 30% (water-soluble) has good water solubility and clear and transparent characteristics, and is very suitable for use in products such as functional beverages and healthy teas. Its high solubility and stability mean that there is no need to worry about precipitation or discoloration during the shelf life of the product.
Health food: Our water-soluble dihydromyricetin powder is suitable for tablets, soft capsules, powdered drinks and nutritional supplements, which is convenient for consumers to supplement healthy nutrition anytime and anywhere.
Skin care products: Dihydromyricetin 98% (fat-soluble) is used as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent in skin care products. It can effectively reduce free radical damage and improve skin condition. It is suitable for essences, creams and anti-aging products.
With high solubility, high stability and high bioavailability, we meet the needs of different application scenarios. In the future, kintai will continue to focus on the technical improvement of dihydromyricetin products and provide customers with innovative solutions.
If you want to know more about this product, please contact Email: sales@kintaibio.com | WhatsApp: +86-181 8259 4708, we will have more professional answers for you.
