PROPERTIES: Vitaferrol elixir contains vitamins, the building block of the body together with a novel iron preparation, which contains non-ionic ferric iron and polymaltose in a stable complex. This facilitates a controlled absorption of the ferric iron when it comes in contact with the mucosal cell surface. The polynuclear iron (III)-hydroxide cores are superficially surrounded by a number of non-covalently bound polymaltose molecules. The complex is stable and doesn�t release ionic iron under physiological conditions. The iron in the polynuclear cores is bound in a similar structure as in the case of physiologically occurring ferritin. Due to this similarity, only the iron (III) of the complex is absorbed by an active absorption process. By means of competitive ligand exchange, any iron binding protein in the gastrointestinal fluid and on the surface of the epithelium can take up iron (III).