Development and In Vitro Characterization of a Novel Oral Vitamin B12 Sequential Coating Platform Utilizing Ascorbic Acid and Chitosan to Enhance Permeation

Conventional oral delivery of Vitamin B12 faces significant absorption limitations. Here we present a novel multi-particulate system designed to improve bioavailability through a sequential coating strategy. Vitamin B12 is layered onto inert cores and finished with a functional overcoat containing chitosan and ascorbic acid. These co-formulated components are designed to address absorption barriers via tight-junction modulation (chitosan) and the creation of a local acidic microenvironment (ascorbic acid) to facilitate optimal conditions for intestinal delivery. While the formulation and physical characterization of these multi-particulate pellets have been successfully established at a proof-of-concept scale, direct permeability measurements and B12-specific dissolution data were outside the scope of this initial study and remain the subject of future investigation.