Citicoline (CDP-Choline)
CAS 987-78-0
Purity≥99.8%
Cytidine-choline nucleotide for cognitive-nutrition research
For B2B ingredient sourcing, request the specification, batch COA, sample, packaging and lead-time confirmation. Explore nutrition & functional ingredients.
Confirm citicoline salt identity and assay basis.
Key Specifications
| Product Positioning | Cytidine-choline nucleotide for cognitive-nutrition research |
| Application Scenarios | citicoline nutrition formulas · nucleotide metabolism research · oral solid-dose development |
| CAS Number | 987-78-0 |
| Purity | ≥99.8% |
| Molecular Formula | C₁₄H₂₆N₄O₁₁P₂ |
| Molecular Weight | 488.32 g/mol |
| Appearance | White crystalline powder |
| Solubility | Freely soluble in water |
| Storage | Room temperature, dry |
| Shelf Life | 24 months |
Procurement & delivery
Supply details confirmed by intended use, volume and target market
Citicoline (cytidine 5'-diphosphocholine, CDP-choline; CAS 987-78-0) is a nucleotide-choline conjugate with molecular formula C14H26N4O11P2 and molecular weight 488.32 g/mol. It occurs endogenously as a key intermediate in the Kennedy pathway, the biochemical route mammalian cells use to build phosphatidylcholine, a major membrane phospholipid — but it is not commercially extracted from biological tissue. Essentially all citicoline supplied to the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries today is produced biotechnologically: an engineered microbial strain expressing choline-phosphate cytidylyltransferase is fermented to generate the enzyme and nucleotide precursor, which is then used to catalyze the coupling of cytidine triphosphate with phosphocholine, followed by purification and crystallization. This enzymatic route has largely replaced older multi-step chemical synthesis, giving tighter, more consistent control over purity and impurity profile. Commercial bulk material is typically supplied as a white crystalline powder that is freely soluble in water.
≥99.8% USP/EP Purity
Manufactured to ≥99.8% purity and certified to both USP and EP monographs — a combination held by very few domestic producers — supporting both pharmaceutical-grade and premium supplement formulations.
Controlled Enzymatic Biosynthesis Platform
Produced via a proprietary enzymatic/fermentation route using engineered production strains, giving batch-to-batch consistency in impurity profile compared to legacy multi-step chemical synthesis.
Consistent Crystalline Form
Supplied as a free-flowing white crystalline powder with controlled particle size, suitable for direct compression, capsule filling, and solution/injection formulations.
Comprehensive Contaminant Screening
Every batch is tested for heavy metals (Pb, Hg, Cd, As), residual solvents, and microbial limits, with full COA and third-party test reports available on request.
Flexible Bulk & OEM Supply
Available in flexible bulk packaging with customizable particle size, blending, and private-label/OEM formulation support for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and medical nutrition brands.
Test items, specifications and batch results are shown here; request the formal COA through the card below.
Batch No.
PGCDP-260530
Test date
2026-06-06
Specification
In-house
Pack size
25kg/drum
Storage
Room temperature, dry
Conclusion
Conforms
| Test Item | Specification | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | White to off-white crystalline powder | Conforms, white crystalline powder |
| Odor & color | Odorless, white, free-flowing | Conforms |
| Assay (HPLC, on dried basis) | ≥99.8% | 99.85% |
| Crystal form / particle size | Fine crystalline powder, 100% through 80 mesh | Conforms, 100% through 80 mesh |
| Loss on drying | ≤5.0% | 2.8% |
| Lead (Pb) | ≤10 ppm | <5 ppm |
| Mercury (Hg) | ≤1 ppm | <0.5 ppm |
| Cadmium (Cd) | ≤1 ppm | <0.5 ppm |
| Arsenic (As) | ≤2 ppm | <1 ppm |
| Total aerobic plate count | ≤1000 CFU/g | <100 CFU/g |
| Yeast & mold | ≤100 CFU/g | <10 CFU/g |
| E. coli | Negative/25 g | Negative |
| Salmonella | Negative/25 g | Negative |
This page shows a batch-data summary only. No direct COA file link is provided; request the signed document through the form below.
Pharmaceutical and API development
Dietary supplements
Food and nutrition fortification
Paraxanthine and citicoline are increasingly combined in overseas cognitive and sports-nutrition formulations. Citicoline provides choline/cytidine substrates, while paraxanthine is studied as a caffeine metabolite for alertness and attention; this is a formulation-screening direction for focus and mental energy.
Evidence: Human research exists for citicoline-caffeine beverages and market examples exist for paraxanthine formulas; direct clinical evidence for citicoline plus paraxanthine synergy remains limited.Source
Literature-Supported Research Directions
Citicoline is an intermediate in the CDP-choline cycle. Its hydrolysis products, choline and cytidine, participate in phosphatidylcholine, nucleotide and acetylcholine-related metabolism, supporting research in neurobiochemistry and membrane lipid metabolism.
Citation: Weiss, Life Sciences (1995): metabolism and actions of CDP-choline.View source
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 12 weeks of 500 mg/day citicoline in healthy older adults improved selected episodic and composite memory outcomes versus placebo; replication in additional studies is still needed.
Citation: Nakazaki et al., Journal of Nutrition (2021): citicoline and memory function in healthy older adults.View source
Reviews and clinical trials of citicoline in ischemia, brain injury and neuroinflammation are not fully consistent. The ingredient is therefore best presented for neurobiochemistry, medical nutrition and formulation research rather than as a disease-treatment claim.
Citation: Secades et al., Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases (2016): meta-analysis of randomized citicoline trials in acute ischemic stroke.View source
Note: For ingredient R&D and scientific information; findings depend on model, dose, formulation and population and do not constitute a treatment claim or efficacy guarantee.
Lead Time
3–5business days
Standard products are generally in stock; confirm the exact lead time with us.
Minimum Order
25 kg
Samples, pilot trials, and commercial volumes are supported.
Foil Pouch
Sealed, moisture-protective inner packaging
Fiber Drum
Standard outer packaging for bulk transport
Bulk Shipping
Palletized and stretch-wrapped for protection
Ambient storage: foil pouch + fiber drum; temperature controlled: foil pouch + insulated box/carton. Confirm by product.
Custom packaging: Custom foil bags or HDPE drums, GMP label printing, and export documentation are available. Contact us for a quote.Images are packaging illustrations.
Certifications
USP
US Pharmacopoeia
EP
European Pharmacopoeia
Production Strain Engineering & Seed Culture
An engineered microbial strain expressing choline-phosphate cytidylyltransferase (CCT) is recovered from cryopreserved stock and expanded through seed culture stages under strict aseptic and genetic-stability controls.
Fermentation for Enzyme & Nucleotide Precursor Production
The seed culture is transferred to production fermenters where controlled temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and feeding strategy drive high-density cell growth and accumulation of the CCT enzyme and CTP precursor.
Enzymatic Bioconversion
Cell lysate or whole-cell biocatalyst is used to catalyze coupling of cytidine triphosphate (CTP) with phosphocholine, forming CDP-choline (citicoline) and releasing inorganic pyrophosphate as a by-product.
Biomass Removal & Clarification
The reaction broth is centrifuged and/or membrane-filtered to remove residual cell mass and insoluble debris, then treated with activated carbon to reduce color bodies and trace pyrogens.
Chromatographic Purification
Ion-exchange and/or preparative chromatography separates citicoline from unreacted precursors, salts, and reaction by-products to reach the purity required for pharmaceutical-grade material.
Concentration & Crystallization
The purified solution is vacuum-concentrated, and controlled cooling/anti-solvent crystallization is used to precipitate citicoline in a defined, reproducible crystal form.
Drying & Micronization
Wet crystals are vacuum- or fluid-bed dried under low-temperature conditions to protect the hygroscopic nucleotide structure, then milled and sieved to the target particle size.
Quality Control & Packaging
Each batch is tested by HPLC assay, related-substance profiling, heavy metal and microbial limit testing before being packed in moisture-protective bulk containers under GMP-aligned conditions.
Purity is determined by reversed-phase HPLC with UV detection, quantified against a characterized citicoline reference standard and reported on a dried-basis percentage, consistent with USP/EP-style monograph methodology. Because citicoline is a nucleotide salt sensitive to moisture and trace ionic impurities, buyers should always request the batch-specific Certificate of Analysis and, where regulatory use requires it, an independent third-party HPLC verification rather than relying on a generic specification sheet alone.
Citicoline is freely soluble in water, forming clear, essentially colorless solutions across a wide concentration range, which supports its use in oral solutions, effervescent tablets, and sterile injectable formulations. For solid dosage forms (tablets, capsules, powder sachets), its hygroscopic nature calls for moisture-controlled processing, desiccant packaging, and, where needed, a moisture barrier coating; for aqueous/injectable formulations, pH adjustment and sterile filtration (rather than terminal heat sterilization) are typically used to preserve the integrity of the nucleotide structure.
Purity is verified by HPLC against a reference standard for every production batch. A full Certificate of Analysis covering assay, related substances, heavy metals, and microbial limits is provided with each shipment, and pre-shipment samples can be tested independently if required.
Our citicoline is produced via an enzymatic bioconversion route: an engineered microbial strain is fermented to generate the key enzyme and nucleotide precursor, which then catalyzes formation of CDP-choline, followed by purification and crystallization. This biotechnological route provides more consistent impurity control than older multi-step chemical synthesis.
Citicoline is freely soluble in water, which makes it well suited to oral solutions, effervescent tablets, and injectable formulations, as well as standard tablets, capsules, and powder blends provided moisture is properly controlled during processing and packaging.
Yes, small evaluation samples are available on request for formulation and quality testing purposes. Please contact our team with your intended application and required quantity so we can arrange the appropriate sample and documentation.
Yes. In addition to our internal QC reports, customers are welcome to send samples to their own accredited laboratory for independent verification of assay, purity, and safety parameters before or after purchase.
Yes, we support OEM and private-label programs, including custom particle size, blending with complementary ingredients, and formulation guidance for finished dosage forms such as tablets, capsules, and effervescent products.
Citicoline is typically packed in moisture-protective bulk drums or foil-lined bags (e.g., 1 kg, 5 kg, 25 kg), with custom packaging available on request. It should be stored in a cool, dry place, tightly sealed and protected from moisture and direct light.
MOQ varies by packaging format and intended use (pharmaceutical vs. nutraceutical grade); please contact our sales team with your target quantity, application, and destination market so we can provide an accurate quotation and lead time.
Documents are subject to product and batch availability; third-party reports are provided only when applicable.
Quality documents
The specification sheet defines acceptance limits. The COA shows actual batch results, which may vary by batch. Third-party reports are provided only for products or batches that have been independently tested.
Stable acceptance criteria · Available on request
Actual test data · Issued with each shipment
Independent test record · Available by product/batch
Technical Resources
A practical identity and specification checklist for buyers comparing citicoline and citicoline sodium in formulation projects.
A practical guide to reviewing USP and Ph. Eur. expectations, batch COA data, and method alignment when sourcing citicoline.
A process-focused overview of engineered-strain cultivation, enzymatic bioconversion, purification, crystallization, drying, and quality release for bulk citicoline.
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