SunActive® – Advanced Nutrient Delivery System for Enhanced Mineral and CoQ10 Bioavailability
What is SunActive™?
SunActive® is a patented Nutrient Delivery System (NDS) developed to improve the bioavailability, dispersibility, and formulation performance of minerals and fat-soluble nutrients. The technology is based on micronized and microencapsulated particles specifically engineered for optimized absorption and application versatility.
SunActive® addresses one of the major formulation challenges in nutritional science: the limited bioavailability and poor sensory properties of many conventional mineral and fat-soluble ingredients.
What Is SunActive® Technology?
SunActive® utilizes extremely small micronized particles combined with a protective encapsulation system. The resulting particles typically range between 0.3–0.4 µm and are designed to support efficient intestinal uptake.
The technology was developed for water-insoluble minerals that traditionally exhibit poor absorption characteristics. Due to their very small particle size, SunActive® minerals can be absorbed through endocytosis by enterocytes in the gastrointestinal tract. Taiyo refers to this mechanism as “endosomal mineral” delivery.
Unlike conventional mineral salts, SunActive® ingredients are designed to improve functional performance while minimizing common formulation and tolerability challenges.
Why Are SunActive® Endosomal Minerals Different?
Taiyo uses a proprietary manufacturing process to produce highly micronized mineral particles without generating nanoparticles and without falling under EU Novel Food regulation.
Independent laboratory testing comparing commercially available insoluble mineral sources demonstrated that SunActive® minerals exhibited the smallest particle size among analyzed materials of the same type (Eikelmann 3P Instruments, 2022).
The extremely small particle size is considered a key factor contributing to the enhanced absorption characteristics and improved bioavailability profile of SunActive® ingredients.
Advantages of Insoluble Minerals in SunActive®
The use of insoluble mineral forms within the SunActive® system offers several formulation and physiological advantages compared with conventional ionic mineral sources.
Key Benefits
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Reduced competition with other ions for DMT-1 transporter absorption
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Reduced interaction with food compounds such as phytic acid, proteins, and polyphenols
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No metallic taste commonly associated with iron or zinc
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No soapy taste associated with calcium or magnesium
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Improved sensory performance in beverages and functional foods
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Reduced risk of gastrointestinal side effects such as diarrhea with magnesium formulations
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Reduced oxidative reactivity associated with free iron ions
These characteristics make SunActive® particularly suitable for advanced nutritional formulations requiring high stability, pleasant sensory properties, and improved consumer tolerance.
SunActive® Fat-Soluble Ingredient Technology
Many fat-soluble nutrients, including coenzyme Q10, lutein, and astaxanthin, exhibit poor water dispersibility and limited bioavailability in conventional formulations.
SunActive® Super-Dispersion Technology addresses this challenge by micronizing fat-soluble compounds and surrounding them with an emulsifier layer. This creates highly stable water dispersions with homogeneous distribution characteristics comparable to fruit juice beverages.
The technology enables improved formulation flexibility across beverages, powders, functional foods, and dietary supplements.
SunActive® Q-10E – Enhanced Coenzyme Q10 Delivery
SunActive® Q-10E was specifically developed to improve the dispersibility and absorption of coenzyme Q10 in water-based systems.
Due to its micronized particle size and stable dispersion properties, SunActive® Q-10E demonstrated a 320% increase in bioavailability compared with standard CoQ10 powder.
Formulation Benefits
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Excellent water dispersibility
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Stable liquid applications
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Suitable for functional beverages
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Improved bioavailability profile
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Suitable for dry blends and functional food systems
SunActive® Product Range
Mineral Ingredients
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SunActive® Fe-P80LK
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SunActive® Fe-P80E
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SunActive® Fe-P230
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SunActive® Zn-P240G
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SunActive® Mg-P155
Fat-Soluble Ingredient
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SunActive® Q10-E
SunActive® Iron Ingredients
SunActive® iron products are based on iron pyrophosphate and are specifically designed for improved formulation performance and consumer acceptance.
Product Characteristics
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Iron content >8%
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Emulsifier: sunflower lecithin (E322)
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No metallic taste
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White powder appearance
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Suitable for food and beverage applications
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Also available for infant and baby nutrition applications (SunActive® Fe-P80LKI)
These properties make SunActive® iron ingredients suitable for a wide range of nutritional and functional product concepts where taste neutrality, dispersibility, and improved bioavailability are essential.