Coenzyme Q10 Contents in Foods and Fortification Strategies

Abstract

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ ₁₀ ) is an effective natural antioxidant with a fundamental role in cellular bioenergetics and numerous known health benefits. Reports of its natural occurrence in various food items are comprehensively reviewed and critically evaluated. Meat, fish, nuts, and some oils are the richest nutritional sources of CoQ ₁₀ , while much lower levels can be found in most dairy products, vegetables, fruits, and cereals. Large variations of CoQ ₁₀ content in some foods and food products of different geographical origin have been found. The average dietary intake of CoQ ₁₀ is only 3–6 mg, with about half of it being in the reduced form. The intake can be significantly increased by the fortification of food products but, due to its lipophilicity, until recently this goal was not easily achievable particularly with low-fat, water-based products. Forms of CoQ ₁₀ with increased water-solubility or dispersibility have been developed for this purpose, allowing the fortification of aqueous products, and exhibiting improved bioavailability; progress in this area is described briefly. Three main fortification strategies are presented and illustrated with examples, namely the addition of CoQ ₁₀ to food during processing, the addition of this compound to the environment in which primary food products are being formed (i.e. animal feed), or with the genetic modification of plants (i.e. cereal crops).

Keywords:

• CoQ₁₀
• ubiquinone
• ubiquinol
• Q10vital
• fortification
• functional food
• antioxidants

Notes

^a If more than one reference is available, the CoQ₁₀ content interval is stated. Data that differentiate significantly from the majority of reliable studies are not stated in the CoQ ₁₀ content column, but are included in the Notes and References column in parentheses.

^b Food items with a large CoQ₁₀ content interval (min. 8 mg/kg and three times difference between higher and lower reliable CoQ₁₀ content) are stated in round brackets and need to be re-evaluated.

^c Below the detection limit.

^d (Kraszner-Berndorfer and Kováts, 1972); determination of the oxidized form.

^e (Kamei et al., 1986); determination of the oxidized form.

^f (Weber et al., 1997); determination of the oxidized form

^g (Mattila et al., 2000); determination of the oxidized form with an electrochemical detector.

^h (Mattila and Kumpulainen, 2001); determination of the oxidized form.

ⁱ (Stražišar et al., 2005); determination of the oxidized form.

^j (Prošek et al., 2007); determination of the oxidized form.

^k (Souchet and Laplante, 2007); determination of the oxidized form.

^l (Passi et al., 2002); total CoQ₁₀ after determination of the oxidized and reduced form.

^m (Cabrini et al., 2001); total CoQ₁₀ after determination of the oxidized and reduced form; recalculated to mg/kg with an approximation of oil density: 0.92 g/cm³.

ⁿ (Kettawan et al., 2007); total CoQ₁₀ after determination of the oxidized and reduced form.

^o (Kubo et al., 2008); total CoQ₁₀ after determination of the oxidized and reduced form.

^p (Pregnolato et al., 1994); total CoQ₁₀ after determination of the oxidized and reduced form; recalculated to mg/kg with an approximation of oil density: 0.92 g/cm³).

∗UHT milk “Alpsko mleko Q ₁₀,” produced by Ljubljanske mlekarne dairy (Slovenia)