Vitamin A (Retinol)

Product Name:

Vitamin A (Retinol)

CAS Number:

68-26-8 (all-trans Retinol)

Chemical Family / INCI Name:

Retinoid. INCI: Retinol

EC Number:

200-412-2

Common Form:

Yellow to orange crystalline powder or viscous oil solution (when esterified for stability)

Uses:

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin essential for numerous biological processes. It is widely used in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and nutritional applications.

Primary Function and Applications:

· Primary Function: Cell growth regulator, vision support molecule, antioxidant, and skin conditioning agent

· Key Benefit: Essential for normal vision, immune function, cellular differentiation, and epithelial tissue maintenance

· Typical Applications:

  · Pharmaceutical: Treatment and prevention of Vitamin A deficiency, night blindness, and xerophthalmia

  · Cosmetic & Skincare: Anti-aging formulations to reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and improve skin texture

  · Nutritional Supplements: Fortification of foods, dietary supplements, and animal feed

  · Food Industry: Food additive for nutritional fortification (e.g., margarine, dairy products, cooking oils)

What does Vitamin A do in a formulation?

• Cell Regulation: As a ligand for retinoic acid receptors (RAR) and retinoid X receptors (RXR), it regulates gene expression controlling cell growth and differentiation
• Keratinization Control: Normalizes epidermal keratinization, reducing roughness and promoting smoother skin
• Collagen Synthesis: Stimulates fibroblast activity and collagen production, improving skin elasticity
• Visual Cycle Support: As retinal (aldehyde form), it combines with opsin to form rhodopsin, the visual pigment essential for low-light vision

Critical Safety & Handling Profile:

· Safety Note: Extremely sensitive to degradation. Retinol and its esters are rapidly destroyed by oxygen, light, heat, acids, and oxidizing agents

  · Hazard Classification: Toxic (T) - R61 (May cause harm to the unborn child)

· Storage Conditions: Store under inert gas (nitrogen or argon) in tight, light-protected containers at -20°C

· Shelf Life:

  · Powder form: Stable for 36 months at -20°C

  · In solution: Use within 1 month at -20°C; avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles

Technical profile:

Key Specifications & Physical Data (for all-trans Retinol):

Technical Considerations:

1. Chemical Forms: Vitamin A exists in multiple forms with different stability profiles:

   · Retinol (Alcohol form): Least stable, most biologically active

   · Retinyl Acetate: Ester form, more stable than retinol

   · Retinyl Palmitate: Most stable ester form, commonly used in commercial applications

   · Retinal/Retinoic Acid: Oxidized metabolites with specific biological functions

2. Stability Protocol: Due to extreme sensitivity to degradation:

   · Always handle under yellow light to prevent photodegradation

   · Use freshly prepared solutions

   · Incorporate antioxidants (e.g., BHT, vitamin E) in formulations

   · For oil solutions, storage at -20°C in sealed ampoules under inert gas is recommended

3. Activity Units: Biological activity can be expressed in multiple units:

   · 1 USP Unit = biological activity of 0.3 µg of all-trans retinol

   · Activity may also be expressed in IU (International Units) or RE (Retinol Equivalents)

4. Quality Control: Pharmacopeial standards (USP, EP, JP) require specific identification tests including:

   · Antimony trichloride test (transient blue color)

   · TLC identification with RF values: alcohol form ~0.1, acetate ~0.45, palmitate ~0.7

   · UV absorbance ratio requirements

5. Food Grade Specifications: For food additive applications, compliance with standards such as GB 14750-2010 is required, with assay limits of 97.0-103.0% of labeled vitamin A content .