Citicoline (CDP-Choline)
CAS 987-78-0
Purity≥99.8%
Cytidine-choline nucleotide for cognitive-nutrition research
Bulk Citicoline (CDP Choline) Powder, CAS 987-78-0, specification ≥99.8%. Raw-material MOQ: 25 kg; packaging options: 1 kg, 5 kg and 25 kg. Listed lead time: 3–5 business days, subject to batch availability. Evaluation samples, batch COA and the published third-party sample report are available for supplier qualification and formulation trials. nutrition & functional ingredients
Quote / sample & delivery
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, also called CDP choline or cytidine 5′-diphosphocholine, is a nucleotide-choline ingredient. This product is Citicoline Powder, CAS 987-78-0, with a specification of ≥99.8%, supplied for bulk ingredient sourcing and formulation development. Citicoline sodium, CAS 33818-15-4, is a separate sodium-salt product. The published third-party sample PGCDP-260530 recorded 99.91% purity; its COA separately reports 99.85% HPLC assay on a dried basis. Buyers can review both documents with their test methods and reporting bases, then select the chemical form and acceptance specification needed for the project. Citicoline (CDP-choline inner salt) is hydrolysed after ingestion to choline and cytidine, normal body constituents that enter the body's metabolic pathways. Why consider citicoline for your ingredient portfolio? Defined EU supplement uses. Authorised as a novel food ingredient since 2014, citicoline meeting the applicable specifications can be used in food supplements at up to 500 mg/day. For foods for special medical purposes, the limits are 250 mg per serving and 1,000 mg/day. Labels must state that products containing citicoline are not intended for children. These are use limits, not recommended doses. US dietary supplement applications. Citicoline appears in US supplement label records. Ingredient identity, manufacturing process, safety information and any applicable new dietary ingredient notification requirements must be assessed for the specific material; market use does not mean FDA approval. A long research history. Published human pharmacokinetic work dates back to the 1980s, with later studies exploring citicoline in nutrition and clinical settings. Research findings depend on the ingredient, dose, population and outcome studied; medical research is not a supplement disease-treatment claim. An alternative choline source. A small human study found near-complete absorption after a single dose of labelled citicoline. This does not establish complete absorption of choline in every formulation, or prove that citicoline never contributes to TMA or TMAO formation. Practical formulation references. Published studies have used 250 mg capsules and investigated beverages containing citicoline with other ingredients. Capsule capacity depends on powder density, excipients and capsule size; liquid projects require testing of taste, processing and storage stability. Beverage research does not by itself establish permission for an ordinary beverage in the EU. For US and European projects, distinguish the ingredient's permitted use from the claims made for the finished product. EU novel food authorisation does not authorise a memory claim; US structure/function claims require substantiation and the applicable labelling and notification procedures.
Citicoline Identity, Separate from Sodium Salt
This Citicoline (CDP-Choline) powder is CAS 987-78-0, with a ≥99.8% specification. Citicoline sodium is a separate material under CAS 33818-15-4; select the form required by the formulation.
Third-Party Purity and COA Assay
Sample PGCDP-260530 recorded 99.91% purity in the published third-party report; its COA separately reports 99.85% HPLC assay on a dried basis. Match each figure to its method and document. These results describe this sample/lot, not every future batch.
Water-Soluble Formulation Ingredient
Citicoline is freely soluble in water and can be evaluated in capsules, tablets, oral liquids and powder blends. For aqueous projects, measure dissolution and assay retention at the intended concentration, pH and processing conditions.
Enzymatic Bioconversion and Purification
The production route uses enzymatic bioconversion followed by purification and crystallization. Review the route together with identity, related quality tests and batch release results when qualifying a supplier.
Crystalline Powder and Particle-Size Record
COA PGCDP-260530 records white crystalline powder and 100% passage through 80 mesh. Use this lot record for powder-handling review and confirm the particle requirement for the purchasing specification.
Bulk Supply and Evaluation Samples
Raw-material MOQ: 25 kg. Packaging options: 1 kg, 5 kg and 25 kg. Evaluation samples, batch COA and the published third-party sample report support qualification and formulation trials.
Test items, specifications and results for the listed batch are shown here. View or request a COA in the quality documents section.
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 |
View an available COA in the quality documents section. Check the document for its product form and batch; request a signed COA for your purchasing or shipment batch separately.
Pharmaceutical and API development
Dietary supplements
Food and nutrition fortification
Select citicoline separately from its sodium salt; specify each blend ingredient's form and choline reporting basis.
99.85%
Assay (HPLC, on dried basis)
PGCDP-260530 · Results apply to this lot; interpret purity, assay and water on their respective bases.
Composition candidates, processing sequences and tests support pilot design. Confirm candidate excipients and processes using this material in the actual finished formulation.
Application examples follow the materials, formats and findings actually studied. Combination studies, single-ingredient studies, commercial precedents and development candidates are distinguished.
Citicoline and caffeine can provide a choline-related ingredient and a caffeine source within one beverage. A human study of a finished beverage supports development questions around solubility, flavour and ingredient labelling.
Show research and formulation insights +Hide details −Combination / selection rationale: Citicoline and caffeine can provide a choline-related ingredient and a caffeine source within one beverage. A human study of a finished beverage supports development questions around solubility, flavour and ingredient labelling.
Published evidence / source details: Bruce et al. compared a citicoline–caffeine beverage with a matched placebo in 60 healthy adults in 2014, beginning assessments about 30 minutes after consumption. The beverage provided 250 mg citicoline. Improvements appeared in maze learning, sustained-attention reaction time and selected error measures, without separate controls for each active ingredient.
Development insights: Compare ready-to-drink and reconstitutable formats. Dissolve actives separately and assess addition order, target pH, flavour masking and clarity after holding. Assay citicoline and caffeine separately, including post-process retention. Thermal processing requires its own time–temperature and packaged-retention tests; an acute beverage trial does not establish shelf life.
Evidence scope: Evidence concerns a particular finished beverage and cannot isolate each ingredient’s contribution. The 250 mg amount describes the study. Paraxanthine is a different material and is not validated by this caffeine trial.
2014 · Bruce et al. · Citicoline–caffeine beverage · PMID 25046515 ↗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
EFSA described citicoline as readily hydrolysed after ingestion to choline and cytidine, normal body constituents entering metabolic pathways. Its safety conclusion applies to the assessed uses and levels.
Citation: EFSA NDA Panel (2013), EFSA Journal 11(10):3421.View source
The Union list specifies 500 mg/day in food supplements, and 250 mg per serving with a maximum of 1,000 mg/day in foods for special medical purposes. The label must state that the product is not intended for children. Verify the supplied ingredient against the applicable specifications.
Citation: Regulation (EU) 2017/2470, consolidated version dated 10 August 2026.View source
Six healthy adults received a single 300 mg dose of labelled citicoline. Absorption was reported as virtually complete, with less than 1% recovered in faeces over five days. This small pharmacokinetic study does not establish universal formulation bioavailability or absence of TMA/TMAO formation.
Citation: Dinsdale et al. (1983), Pharmacokinetics of 14C CDP-choline.View source
A randomised study in 60 healthy adults evaluated a beverage containing 250 mg citicoline together with caffeine. The findings concern the combined beverage, rather than citicoline alone, and do not establish regulatory permission or shelf-life performance for another formulation.
Citation: Bruce et al. (2014), International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition.View source
Regulation (EU) 2025/2223 refused the specific claim concerning improvement, maintenance or reduced loss of memory in healthy middle-aged or elderly adults with age-associated subjective memory impairment. Novel food use authorisation and health claim authorisation are separate.
Citation: Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/2223.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 capsule formulation: screen the powder with the intended carrier or flow aid, measure blend uniformity and capsule fill-weight variation, and assay samples from multiple blend and filling positions. Account for water content and the batch assay basis when calculating ingredient loading. Citicoline tablet formulation: compare direct compression with a dry-granulation pilot. Track flow, compactability, hardness, friability and disintegration. If wet granulation or effervescent processing is considered, measure assay and related substances before and after water and heat exposure; select moisture-protective packaging using finished-tablet stability results. Citicoline powder sachets and beverage formulation: first measure dissolution at the intended concentration. In the full formula, evaluate pH, clarity, colour, taste and compatibility with acids, sweeteners and other ingredients. Measure assay and related substances after the proposed heating and holding process and during storage in the intended container. Powder sachets also require blend-uniformity and moisture testing. Development records should identify the chemical form, lot, assay reporting basis, composition, mixing order, processing conditions and packaging. These are pilot-development checks, not a validated finished formula or a finished-product shelf-life claim.
Yes. CDP choline and citicoline are names for the same compound, cytidine 5′-diphosphocholine. This product has CAS 987-78-0. Citicoline sodium has CAS 33818-15-4 and separate specifications and lot documentation; include the required chemical form in a bulk purchase order.
A pharmacopoeial citicoline specification identifies the ingredient form, CAS, edition, applicable monograph and item-by-item acceptance criteria. This PathGene product is CDP-choline, CAS 987-78-0, with a purity specification of ≥99.8%. Assess monograph compliance against the agreed requirements and matching lot documentation.
This product is citicoline (CDP-choline), CAS 987-78-0. Citicoline sodium is a separate supply form, CAS 33818-15-4. Specify the intended form and compare its own specification and COA; do not treat the names as interchangeable.
The third-party report covers submitted sample PGCDP-260530 and reports purity of 99.91%. The displayed COA separately lists a 99.85% dry-basis HPLC assay. These values use different reporting bases and should not be substituted for one another or treated as guarantees for later lots. Review the report article and request the offered batch documents.
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 powder is freely soluble in water and can be evaluated in oral liquids, effervescent tablets, tablets, capsules and powder blends. Control moisture during processing and packaging, and test compatibility and stability at the intended concentration, pH and processing conditions.
Citicoline evaluation samples can be requested for purity, solubility and formulation-compatibility testing. Sample arrangements are confirmed separately from bulk orders. The raw-material bulk MOQ is 25 kg.
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.
Citicoline (CAS 987-78-0) and citicoline sodium (CAS 33818-15-4) use their own specifications and COAs. Compare quotations on an agreed assay basis and review salt identity, water content, testing and order terms separately, rather than comparing only powder price or the CDP-choline abbreviation.
Citicoline and Alpha-GPC are distinct choline-containing ingredients. Combination development should calculate the total choline contribution, assess compatibility and processing and storage stability in the intended format, and review destination-market intake requirements. Establish the ratio through finished-formulation testing.
Specify the chemical form required by the formulation. This page covers citicoline CAS 987-78-0; citicoline sodium CAS 33818-15-4 has its own product page and batch documents. Compare molecular form, water correction and assay reporting basis before comparing price per kilogram. A sodium-salt result or formulation study cannot be transferred directly to this SKU.
Test blend uniformity, powder flow, fill-weight variation and moisture. Verify assay in samples from multiple filling stages using the batch reporting basis.
Test powder flow, compactability, tablet hardness, friability, disintegration and assay retention. Evaluate related substances after any wet or heated processing and test moisture protection in the finished pack.
Measure dissolution at the intended concentration, then assess pH, clarity, taste, excipient compatibility, assay and related substances during processing and storage. Establish the shelf life using the complete formula in its intended packaging.
The Union list specifies up to 500 mg/day in food supplements. Foods for special medical purposes have limits of 250 mg per serving and 1,000 mg/day. Labels must state that products containing citicoline are not intended for children. These use limits are not recommended doses; verify ingredient specifications and the destination market requirements.
No. US supplement label records show citicoline market applications, not FDA approval. Assess the specific ingredient identity, manufacturing process, safety basis and any applicable NDI notification requirements. A dose used in research is not an FDA-approved dose; a branded supplier's self-affirmed GRAS conclusion is not automatically transferable to another material.
A small study reported near-complete absorption of a single dose of labelled citicoline. That finding does not establish complete choline absorption in every formulation or prove no TMA/TMAO formation. Comparisons between choline sources require direct evidence under the relevant dose, population and formulation conditions.
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 · Check the COA for the applicable batch
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.
USP and Ph. Eur. are not interchangeable quality badges. This Citicoline buyer guide shows how to map the intended market, chemical form, method, acceptance criteria and batch COA without inventing compendial limits.
A process-focused overview of engineered-strain cultivation, enzymatic bioconversion, purification, crystallization, drying, and quality release for bulk citicoline.
Related Products
Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Powder
Reduced L-Glutathione Powder (GSH)
Calcium L-5-Methyltetrahydrofolate Powder
Interested in Citicoline (CDP-Choline)?
Our R&D team will respond to your inquiry or sample request within 24 hours.
Scan to add WeChat
Alex Huang · Mon–Fri 9am–6pm CST
