The term ‘nutraceutical’ is a combination of ‘nutritional’ and ‘pharmaceutical’ and refers to ‘functional foods.’ Nutraceutical excipients are inactive ingredients combined with Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) to increase the volume of solutions containing potent active elements. These excipients are used in standardized supplements that meet pharmaceutical standards. The nutraceutical excipient market has been significantly impacted by the substantial surge in healthcare expenses, which is attributed to excessive use of tests and procedures, lack of transparency regarding quality and pricing of medical goods and services, and adoption of novel treatments and technologies.
Consumers’ heightened health awareness and focus on preventive measures have led to a keen interest in nutraceuticals, which aim to enhance health and prevent diseases. This trend has driven the incorporation of nutraceutical excipients into food fortification and the creation of functional foods that meet consumers’ desires for added nutritional benefits in their diet. The rising incidence of chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular ailments, and obesity also contributes to the demand for nutraceuticals, both as adjunctive therapies and preventive solutions.
Moreover, the expanding elderly population, with distinct nutritional requirements and health considerations, has propelled the need for nutraceuticals tailored to address their specific well-being concerns. Additionally, the surge in personalized nutrition practices fosters a demand for excipients that can be adaptable to individual preferences and nutritional needs, catering to the growing trend of personalized health and diet regimens.
According to MarketsandMarkets The nutraceutical excipients market is expected to be valued at USD 4,248.4 million in 2023 and estimated to reach USD 6,162.1 million by 2028 in terms of value. The Asia Pacific region is projected to grow at the highest CAGR of 8.5% during the forecast period in the nutraceutical excipients market.
Excipients are inactive ingredients used alongside active ingredients in drug formulations, dietary supplements, and fortified foods. These inactive ingredients do not affect the therapeutic action of the active pharmaceutical ingredient. Excipients are used as bulking agents, filler/diluent agents, coloring and flavoring agents, binding agents, coating agents, lubricating agents, and others. Excipient products are primarily used in standardized and pharmaceutical-grade supplements.
The global nutraceutical excipients market is experiencing overall growth due to the increasing demand for nutraceuticals. This demand is driven by growing health awareness and rising medical costs globally. Medical costs have been on the rise due to factors such as the overuse of tests and procedures, lack of information and transparency on the quality and prices of medical products and services, and the adoption of new technologies for treatments. As consumers become more aware of the benefits of nutraceuticals on human health, the demand for these products has exponentially increased.
The growth potential for healthcare, fitness centers, health clubs, and gymnasiums has increased due to widespread concerns among the population. This is attributed to an increase in physical exercise and the availability and consumption of products like antioxidants, probiotics, prebiotics, and dietary supplements. As a result, the demand for nutraceutical excipient products has also increased, which is projected to drive the growth of the nutraceutical industry. Market players are investing in nutrition-rich end products that improve the nutritional health of consumers, which is expected to further drive market growth.
The emergence of multifunctional and co-processed excipients presents significant opportunities for the growth of the nutraceutical excipients market in the coming years. The nutraceutical industry has been growing significantly in recent years and will continue to offer immense growth potential due to an increase in health-conscious people and their preference for nutraceuticals.
However, the decline in R&D investments by excipient manufacturers and the high costs of clinical trials are projected to inhibit market growth during the forecast period. Furthermore, consumer scepticism associated with nutraceutical products and difficulties int nutraceutical product formulations using excipients represent significant challenges to market growth during the forecast period.
Multifunctional excipients are a type of excipient that offers additional functionalities to a formulation. These excipients can be pre- processed or co-processed. Silicified Micro-Crystalline Cellulose, for instance, is a combination of MCC and colloidal silicon dioxide that has been processed. The functionalities that these excipients offer include flowability, compressibility, particle size distribution, shape, and porosity. The term “multifunctional excipient” also refers to products that serve various roles in the formulation of dietary supplements, functional food, and beverage products. For example, Ludipress is a co-processed product that contains lactose, Kollidon, and Kollidon-CL. It serves as a DC diluent with binder and disintegrant properties. Excipients that offer improved functionalities like flow and compression properties are in high demand. Multifunctional excipients can be obtained by developing a new excipient, like cross- linked polymers, or by creating new grades of existing excipients. Processing modifications can lead to changes in particle size distribution, particle shape and morphology, and porosity.
In the past, the high costs and difficulties of obtaining regulatory approval have deterred many players in the industry from developing new excipients. However, by making changes to the manufacturing process and adding small amounts of other known excipients, it is possible to create a new product with improved physical characteristics. Co-processing, which involves combining known excipients at sub- particle levels, can lead to excipients with modified properties, such as enhanced surface area, increased porosity, increased compressibility, and improved flowability. These co-processed excipients are also suitable for direct compression, which can help streamline the production of nutraceutical tablets.
The demand for excipients with improved functionalities in the nutraceutical industry remains high, while also minimizing the drawbacks of incorporated excipients. According to the International Pharmaceutical Excipient Council (IPEC), a co-processed excipient is “a combination of two or more compendial or non-compendial excipients designed to physically modify their properties in a manner not achievable by simple physical mixing, and without significant chemical change.”
Excipient manufacturers are focused on developing new excipient blends to address the challenges related to nutraceutical formulations and the delivery of active ingredients. Old excipients cannot meet all the demands of the industry. For example, Compressor SM co- processed polyol, a product of ABF (UK), is a directly compressible excipient composed of mannitol and sorbitol. This product has multiple functionalities such as firmer texture, low hygroscopicity, pleasant taste, and favourable mouthfeel, making it ideal for use in chewable and high-dose active nutraceutical tablet formulations. The multi-functionality of excipients helps in catering to the increased demand among industry players and saves on the costs incurred to produce a customized excipient.
FOOD MICROENCAPSULATION
Nutraceuticals are substances that have functional properties and are beneficial to health. Examples of nutraceuticals include antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and probiotics. To maximize the desired effects of these substances, appropriate technologies must be used in their formulation. Microencapsulation technology is one of the key technologies used to protect these sensitive compounds from environmental elements. By properly microencapsulating the bioactive compound, stability, controlled release, masking of flavour, colours, or Odors, increased shelf life, and reduced nutrient loss can all be achieved. In the food industry, spray technology is the most commonly used technique for microencapsulation. This involves using an air stream to dry the coating of the element, which can be recoated when it reaches the bottom of the chamber. The number of cycles, temperature, and compression vary to achieve the desired coating composition and thickness. Other microencapsulation technologies include emulsion technology, dripping technology, and physico-chemical and chemical technologies such as extrusion, micelles, layer-by-layer deposition, and precipitation.
Proteins have excellent functional properties that make them ideal for microencapsulation during spray drying. The most commonly used materials for microencapsulating food ingredients are gelatine and milk proteins. Proteins are great at binding flavour compounds, and whey proteins have been successfully used as a wall system for spray-drying with encapsulation of anhydrous milk fat due to their functional qualities. Spray technology is widely used for encapsulating food additives, agrochemicals, and personal care products like creams, lotions, and body wash. The benefits of microencapsulation have led some key players in the minerals industry to strategize on developing encapsulated minerals. Therefore, microencapsulation is an emerging technology in the processing of nutraceutical supplements.
ENCAPSULATION OF OMEGA-3 TO MASK ODOR
The development of microencapsulation technology has been a major breakthrough for manufacturers in reducing the fishy Odor in their final products. This technology also provides great opportunities for large food and beverage manufacturers to create omega-3-fortified products such as fortified milk, bread, bakery products, and orange juices.
Spray drying technology is a more cost-effective way of microencapsulating omega-3 fatty acids when compared to emulsion-based technologies. Many market players are expanding their portfolios to include microencapsulated omega-3 products specifically focused on future market opportunities. Here are two instances:
- Skuny Bioscience (China) has launched a microencapsulated powder of omega-3 under the brand name Megafullife, produced from plant-based sources.
- Functional Mikron (Brazil) has launched microencapsulated powder of omega-3 to achieve higher bioavailability in the products. 6.4.2 INNOVATIVE AND DISRUPTIVE TECH
ROBOTICS AS KEY TECHNOLOGICAL TREND TO LEAD TO INNOVATIONS
Robots have proved to be incredibly useful in the Nutraceutical supplements industry, as they speed up the process of packaging and ensure accuracy. They also help increase the shelf life of Nutraceutical excipient products and ensure compliance with regulatory guidelines by reducing the risk of contamination. As the demand for nutritional supplements continues to increase, there is a need for large-scale production which, in turn, increases the demand for robots to optimize production facilities.
To optimize the use of robots in the industry, there are key robotics trends in the Nutraceutical excipients market that are projected to rise
the adoption of technology in the industry. COBOTS are largely used in the Nutraceutical industry for such applications. According to ivate Trans Automation Technologies, a single robot that can perform one function for 24 hours per day can offset the labour expenditures of Setting three people each day. This has helped a number of pharmaceutical and nutritional supplement manufacturers increase productivity,
Collaborative robots, or COBOTS, enable humans and robots to work together effectively in open or uncaged environments. Using collaborative robots, a human operator and robot can be engaged together in the same process, or the operator can simultaneously handle other tasks that might better be solved by a person. Analyzing machine performance, gathering data, and troubleshooting in advance are key to optimizing the use of robots in the Nutraceutical supplements industry.
PRINTING TO UPLIFT FUTURE OF NUTRACEUTICAL EXCIPIENTS MARKET WITH HIGH-END PRODUCTS Three-dimensional (3D) printing is the process of creating a tangible 3D object from a digital model by layering thin materials (solid, powder, or liquid) in horizontal cross-section, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methods Three-dimensional (3D) printing is the process of creating a physical 3D object from a digital model by layering thin materials, whether solid, powder, or liquid, in horizontal cross-sections, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methods. 3D food printing, along with other types of 3D printing, is a technology that is under development, with active research taking place in various regions. 3D food printing utilizes food excipients to shape them into different forms. 3D food printing, among other types of 3D printing, is a developing technology with a lot of active research going on in various regions. 3D food printing uses food excipients to shape them into different forms. A 3D modelling program is used to configure the setup for printers. The process, also known as additive manufacturing, involves layering viscous excipients such as vegetables, meat, cheeses, dough, chocolate, and sugar repeatedly to eventually form solid comestibles, all based on information fed into the 3D printer from an SD card or computer.
One of the significant challenges faced by the healthcare industry is providing patients with a controlled amount of beneficial nutrients. Currently, it is difficult to provide food or supplements that only contain specific nutrients. This problem could be solved with 3D food printers that can print food and supplements according to the specific nutrient requirement, enabling patients to have food that provides the required regime of nutrients and helps them recover faster from their illnesses. As a result, 3D food printers could provide a solution Acti to the long-term problem of the healthcare industry, driving the market. Since 2018, Multiply Labs (US) has commercialized 3D-printed Go to dietary supplements.
