A paper in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences has clarified the distinction between the ascorbic acid precursor tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (THDC) and ascorbyl tetraisopalmitates.
This was authored by researchers at Sytheon, Sunny Biodiscovery and The Jewish Hospital in Cincinnati.
The two products had previously been regarded as being equivalent structures. However, they represent two different chemistries with different CAS numbers, according to the paper, which is entitled ‘Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (THDC) degrades rapidly under oxidative stress but can be stabilised by acetyl zingerone to enhance collagen production and antioxidant effects’.
Both are esters of ascorbic acid, but THDC comes from a reaction with 2-hexyldecanoic acid while ascorbyl tetraisopalmitates are derived from a reaction with isopalmitic acid. Therefore, the researchers said, they are two different fatty acids that yield two products when esterified with ascorbic acid.
Syneton markets THDC under the name VitaSynol C. It improves chemical stability and, because of its lipophilic nature, facilitates delivery into the epidermis and dermis where it undergoes intracellular enzymatic conversion to free ascorbic acid. Indeed, free ascorbic acid must be released by THDC before its skin benefits can be realised. Thus, THDC is a precursor of ascorbic acid.
