Pi -bond aromatic vitamin chelates

Vitamin and mineral absorption in warm-blooded animals is promoted by means of a class of vitamin chelates where at least one of the bonds between the metal ion and the vitamin ligand is formed between the ion and an electron rich (pi)-cloud of an aromatic ring of the water soluble vitamin. The chelate, containing a total of from one to three ligands, may contain from one up to three vitamin ligands which form a (pi)-bond with the mineral and, when present, one or two amino acid, dipeptide or tripeptide ligands. The mineral is selected from the group consisting of Fe, Cu, Zn, Mg, Mn and Ca. The water soluble vitamin ligand is preferably a residue of nicotinamide, nicotinic acid, pyridoxine, thiamine, riboflavin and folic acid. The amino acid may be any of the naturally occurring (alpha)-amino acids such as glycine. The (pi)-bond vitamin chelates are absorbed more readily from both the gastric and intestinal areas of the GI tract than vitamins or minerals administered separately or as mixtures.