Ubiquinol (Reduced CoQ10)

Ubiquinol is the fully reduced, hydroquinone form of Coenzyme Q10: C59H92O4, CAS 992-78-9, molecular weight 865.36. Chemically it differs from ubidecarenone by a two-electron, two-proton reduction of the benzoquinone ring to a benzenediol, which is why it is a distinct article of commerce with its own CAS number, its own USP reference standard and its own handling regime rather than a grade of CoQ10. It is not the same product as the oxidised quinone and should not be substituted for it on a specification without a formulation review. That single chemical difference dominates the logistics. Ubiquinol is a white to off-white waxy crystalline solid melting at roughly 48-49.5 °C, and it reverts to ubiquinone on contact with atmospheric oxygen; published stability work shows heavy losses within weeks at ambient temperature in unprotected packs. Material is therefore milled, weighed and filled under nitrogen, shipped refrigerated in opaque nitrogen-flushed containers, and most often supplied as a stabilised dispersion in medium-chain triglycerides carrying tocopherols or ascorbyl palmitate as oxygen scavengers, which is the form that goes straight into a softgel line. Buyers running a neat powder should plan an inert-atmosphere dispensing step; there is no way to work around this with packaging alone once a drum is opened. The active is produced by yeast fermentation and carries no animal-derived input, so the bulk material is suitable for vegan and vegetarian ranges, with kosher and halal documentation available. It is free of milk, egg, fish, crustacean, tree nut, peanut and gluten. Two declarations need attention downstream: stabilised oil dispersions frequently contain soy lecithin or soy-derived tocopherol and must carry a soy declaration, and the softgel shell decides the finished product's status, since bovine or fish gelatin removes vegan and vegetarian eligibility and fish gelatin creates a fish allergen declaration, while a starch-carrageenan shell preserves vegan status. Each consignment ships with HPLC assay including residual ubiquinone content, heavy metals, residual solvents, microbiology, allergen, GMO and BSE/TSE statements.