What is Vitamin D2?
Vitamin D2 API, chemically known as Ergocalciferol, is an odorless, tasteless, white, needle-like crystal or crystalline powder.
Vitamin D2 is soluble in trichloromethane, ethanol, acetone, or ether and slightly soluble in vegetable oil, but it is insoluble in water.
Vitamin D2 quickly degrades in light or air, so you need to protect vitamin D2 powder from sunlight and store it in a vacuum-sealed container.
Its specific optical rotation is between +102.5° and +107.5°, and we can use it for identification along with HPLC and IR.
Vitamin D2 is a ring-opening steroid formed by the chemical bond breakage of steroids in response to photochemistry.
According to the 2011 US diagnostic guidelines, we can use vitamin D2 (Ergocalciferol) as a dietary supplement for vitamin D.
Vitamin D2 (Ergocalciferol) is as adequate as cholecalciferol (vitamin D3). It can be produced by skin exposed to ultraviolet light and is available under various trade names.
Vitamin D2’s metabolism and activation occur first in the liver and then in the kidney.
The small intestine primarily absorbs vitamin D2, which requires bile salts to bind to specific alpha-globulins.
The bile salts are then transported to other parts of the body and stored in the liver and adipose tissue.
What is Vitamin D2 Used For?
The consumption of vitamin D2 is 1800 tons/year worldwide, 70%-80% of which is used as a feed additive.
The remaining 20%~30% is used as food additives and pharmaceutical ingredients.
#1. Calcium Supplement
Most children are calcium-deficient, so rickets is common. In contrast, the incidence of osteoporosis in older people in developing countries is about two times higher than that in developed countries. Therefore, the daily demand for vitamin D2 for children and older adults amounts to tens of tons per year.
#2. Medical Purposes
2.1. For the prevention and treatment of vitamin D deficiency.
For example, doctors use vitamin d2 to treat absolute vegetarians and patients suffering from pancreatic insufficiency with malabsorption syndrome, hepatobiliary diseases (hepatic impairment, cirrhosis, obstructive jaundice), minor intestine diseases (lipid diarrhea, restrictive enteritis, long-term diarrhea), gastric resection, etc.
2.2. For the treatment of chronic hypocalcemia, hypophosphatemia, rickets, and osteomalacia with chronic renal insufficiency, familial hypophosphatemia, and hypoparathyroidism (postoperative, idiopathic, or pseudohypoparathyroidism).
2.3. For treating acute, chronic, and potentially post-surgical hand and foot twitching and idiopathic hand and foot twitching.
How Much Does Vitamin D2 API Cost?
Prices for vitamin D2 across different grades vary widely.
As we mentioned earlier, there are three main types of vitamin D2: pharma-grade, food-grade, and feed-grade.
Here, we only discuss the prices for pharmaceutical-grade vitamin d2 approved with China GMP.
For commercial order quantities such as 50 kilos, our price is around 7000~7500 USD/kg.
For several kilos, our offer is about 8000~8500 USD/kg.
We also accept trial orders of 100 grams and 500 grams. Contact us directly for the latest prices.
Disclaimer:
This content is for informational purposes only and is intended for business-to-business communication within the pharmaceutical industry. It is not intended as medical advice. The manufacture, import, and use of API must comply with all applicable laws and regulations in the relevant country or region.
This blog post is informational only and does not constitute medical advice.
Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any new medication or treatment.
