Description
A fat-soluble dimer of thiamine developed for cognitive and fatigue-management applications. Penetrates the blood-brain barrier more efficiently than water-soluble thiamine forms, supporting nootropic and mental-energy positioning.
White to off-white crystalline powder. Stable under normal storage conditions. Typical supplement and clinical doses are 200 to 600 milligrams.
We supply pharmaceutical-grade and supplement-grade Sulbutiamine from manufacturers in China holding ISO, Halal, Kosher and other certifications relevant to the product and production.
Common market grades include Pharmaceutical Grade (≥ 98 percent purity) and Supplement Grade (FCC compliant). Direct-compression and standard powder formats available.
Bulk and reduced-MOQ shipments. Batch-level COA covering assay, related substances, water content, heavy metals, and microbiology.
Introduction
Sulbutiamine is a synthetic dimer of thiamine connected by a disulfide bridge, developed in Japan in the 1960s as a lipophilic thiamine derivative capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier more efficiently than water-soluble thiamine forms.
Industrial production proceeds by chemical synthesis from thiamine through oxidative coupling, yielding the disulfide dimer with isobutyrate ester groups. The product is crystallized for pharmaceutical specifications and supplied as a free-flowing powder.
Approved as a prescription pharmaceutical in France (Arcalion, since 1976) for asthenia treatment and in Russia and several Asian markets for related indications. Marketed as a dietary supplement in the United States, the United Kingdom, and most other markets without prescription requirement.
Strategic positioning is the cognitive-support and nootropic supplement segment, where the blood-brain-barrier-crossing positioning supports premium pricing over conventional thiamine forms. Sales have grown with the broader nootropic supplement category since 2015.
The clinical literature on sulbutiamine is more limited than for benfotiamine, with the strongest support being for asthenia (chronic fatigue without identifiable medical cause) in the French clinical tradition. Anecdotal nootropic positioning is supported by limited but consistent reports of subjective improvement in attention and mental energy.
Where it is used
- Cognitive-support and nootropic supplement formulations
- Mental-energy and anti-fatigue supplements
- Pharmaceutical preparations in France (Arcalion brand, asthenia indication), Russia, and several Asian markets
- Sports nutrition pre-workout and focus formulations
- Recovery-from-illness and convalescence supplements
- Multivitamin formulations in the cognitive-support segment
- Functional medicine fatigue-management protocols
- Veterinary performance applications
Technical data
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | White to off-white crystalline powder |
| Assay (dry basis) | 98.0% to 102.0% |
| Loss on drying | ≤ 1.0% |
| Residue on ignition | ≤ 0.2% |
| Related substances | ≤ 2.0% |
| Heavy metals (as Pb) | ≤ 10 mg/kg |
| Arsenic | ≤ 3 mg/kg |
| Melting point | 120 °C to 125 °C |
| Particle size | Per customer specification |
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