2 replies to this topic

[agwoodliffe]

Given that you can get capsules in a larger quantity for a lower price, I suspect the answer is yes, but I wanted to check if anyone had any actual evidence that capsule/tablet form is of lesser quality than soft gel form.

[Kingsley]

For what it's worth, I have noticed a substantially reduced subjective effect from capsule form than from soft gel form, both from the same brand, Jarrow.  I initially bought soft gels and was very surprised to experience a noticeable cognitive boost following each dose of a single pill.  Like you, I noticed that capsules were much cheaper and so bought some.  However, I have not noticed nearly as much of a subjective effect from the capsules, though I think that if I pop three of them then I still feel a subjective benefit.

 

That said, there are plenty of other factors that could bear on my subjective experience, such as tolerance or other supplements I was taking at the time, or even placebo effect, though I'm skeptical of that one.  Perhaps if I dissolved the powder from a capsule in oil I would notice more from a single dose.  In any event, I think phosphatidylserine is one of those supplements where quality counts for a lot, and Jarrow is the only brand that has ever produced a noticeable subjective effect for me.  I have always found them to be one of the more dependable brands. 

[gamesguru]

Maybe the liquid form has slightly improved bioavailability?

$440/kg, 90%: http://www.alibaba.c...857.35.1.mW478z

Main reason you could only find 50% PS until recently was problems in synthesis efficiency:

J Biotechnol. 2013 Jan 10;163(1):45-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2012.10.022. Epub 2012 Nov 8.

 

Efficient synthesis of phosphatidylserine in 2-methyltetrahydrofuran.

2-Methyltetrahydrofuran has recently been described as a promising and green solvent. Herein, it was successfully used as the reaction medium for enzyme-mediated transphosphatidylation of phosphatidylcholine with L-serine with the aim of phosphatidylserine synthesis for the first time. Our results indicated that as high as 90% yield of phosphatidylserine could be achieved after 12 h combined with no byproduct (phosphatidic acid) forming. The present work accommodated a facilely and efficiently enzymatic strategy for preparing phosphatidylserine, which possessed obvious advantages over the reported processes in terms of high efficiency and environmental friendliness. This work is also a proof-of-concept opening the use of 2-methyltetrahydrofuran in biosynthesis as well.

Therapeutic Properties of Phosphatidylserine in the Aging Brain

The structural and regulatory function of phospholipids in biological membranes has stimulated investigation on the pharmacological properties of these compounds, particularly at cerebral level. In the aging brain, changes in lipid composition or content have been related to alterations of cerebral membranes, such as reduction of membrane fluidity and enzymatic activities, loss of receptors and decreased efficiency of signal transduction mechanisms (21). This has led to the proposal that administration of endogenously occurring phospholipids may preserve the structural and functional integrity of central nervous system membranes, and prevent or reverse neuronal dysfunctions that occur in the course of aging, and age-associated neurodegenerative disorders. In addition, administered phospholipids may participate in phospholipid metabolism, yielding biologically active intermediates in response to physiopathological phenomena

Nerve growth factor enhances antigen and other secretagogue-induced histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells in the absence of phosphatidylserine

The effects of 2.5S nerve growth factor (NGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF), isolated from mouse submaxillary glands, on histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells (PMCs) were studied. In the absence of phosphatidylserine, NGF (1 ng/ml to 1 microgram/ml) did not cause histamine release from PMCs isolated from normal rats and those infected with the nematode Nippostrongylus brasiliensis. However, when PMCs (greater than 97% pure) were preincubated with NGF and then challenged with worm antigen (Ag), there was a marked enhancement of histamine release (approximately twofold with a maximum effect at 10 ng/ml of NGF [3.8 X 10(-10) mol/L]) compared with the release induced by Ag alone. EGF (1 ng/ml to 1 microgram/ml) neither produced histamine release from PMCs in the presence of phosphatidylserine nor enhanced Ag-induced histamine release. This suggests that NGF acts directly on PMCs by activation of cell-surface receptors... Further studies revealed that NGF enhanced histamine release induced by concanavalin A, compound 48/80, and ionophore A23187. These results suggest that NGF might be an important molecule in inflammatory responses through the regulation of mediator release from mast cells.

Phosphatidylserine (PS) as a potential nutraceutical for canine brain aging: A review

Phosphatidylserine has emerged to exert several in vitro and in vivo neuroprotective activities. It has been shown to positively affect neurotransmitter release and neurotransmitter receptor density in several brain regions from laboratory animals with memory impairments. Phosphatidylserine also was found to revert experimentally-induced amnesia in rats and improve memory deficits both in old animals and in elderly humans with various degrees of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's dementia. On the basis of the data reported in the scientific literature, PS stands out as an essential “brain nutrient.” In view of these features, some supplements containing PS have been licensed recently as adjuvant treatment for canine and feline brain aging. The results of the studies on its use in the preventative and combined treatment of dogs with clinical features consistent with the diagnosis of CDS are reported. Although PS-based neuroprotection in dogs and cats is still at its infancy, the preliminary collected data look promising and thus merit further investigation.