Insulin comes in short-acting, long-acting and mixed formulations. Humalog is a rapid-acting insulin meant to cover a meal being eaten. Lantus is a long-acting insulin intended to provide coverage throughout the day.
Purified human insulin is most commonly used, however, insulin from beef and pork sources also are available. Insulin may be given as an injection of a single dose of one type of insulin once a day. Different types of insulin can be mixed
There is not one answer for this because different formulations of insulin will reach peak levels at different times and the length of time that insulin stays active will vary because of anti-bodies to inusulin as well as metabolic factors. Having said that human insulin takes about an hour to peak and then is about half that peak within 5 hours. see http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/7/2/188.full.pdf
It is usually human insulin precipitated with protamin (a fish protein) to reduce its solubility and increase its duration of action. The formulations also contain cresol, phenol , Zn and sodium phosphate as a buffer.
Disodium phosphate dihydrate is used as a buffering agent in insulin formulations to maintain the pH of the solution. It helps stabilize the insulin and prevent degradation. Additionally, disodium phosphate dihydrate can also help improve the solubility and stability of insulin during storage.
Insulins that come in suspension form include NPH (Neutral Protamine Hagedorn) insulin and certain mixtures like 70/30, which contains 70% NPH and 30% regular insulin. These suspensions require gentle mixing before injection to ensure proper dosing, as the insulin particles can settle over time. Other insulin formulations, such as long-acting insulins like insulin glargine or insulin detemir, are typically not in suspension form.
It is not recommended to mix Novolog and Novolin N insulin together in the same syringe due to differences in their onset and duration of action. These two insulin types have different formulations and mixing them can affect their efficacy and lead to unpredictable blood sugar control. It is best to consult with a healthcare provider for guidance on how to properly administer these insulins if needed.
Before the advent of genetic engineering methods of producing Insulin, the hormone was directly isolated from Cows and Pigs. There was no other option of obtaining these hormones. Once they were isolates from these animals, the went through a crude purification process before being bottled.
The most prominent brands of diabetes insulin today are synthetic brands of insulin. Some examples of synthetic insulin brands are Humulin and Novolin. http://www.drugstore.com/ask/what-are-the-different-types-of-insulin/qxa1685
The human insulin protein is composed of 51 amino acids, and has a molecular mass of 5808 Da. Insulin for other species will be somewhat different.
DIFFERENT
Ask your doctor. There are four different onsets insulin can come in. If the two brands have the same speed of onset, he or she should be okay with you changing.
N Insulin last around 8-12 hours, and peaks from 4-6 hours. NPH Insulin is really a medium length acting insulin. It was used more frequently a few years ago when a regime of R and NPH or "N" was used twice a day. Today, more doctors are suggesting an insulin pump.