Botanical Extracts

What manufacturers buy here

This category covers more than 90 plant, algal and fungal materials used as actives in food supplements. Most are dry extracts. A few are isolated plant compounds. Formulators usually group botanical extracts by the part of the organism they come from, because plant part drives composition, specification and regulatory status.

• Roots, rhizomes and bark: ginseng, Rhodiola rosea, valerian, Echinacea angustifolia, Astragalus membranaceus.
• Fruits, berries and seeds: cranberry, Sambucus nigra, grape seed, bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), pomegranate, sea buckthorn.
• Leaves, flowers and aerial parts: Ginkgo biloba, Moringa oleifera, tea extract, hawthorn, passion flower.
• Resins and fruit rinds: Boswellia serrata gum resin, Garcinia cambogia fruit rind.
• Algae and fungi: spirulina, bladderwrack, Laminaria saccharina, Ganoderma lucidum.
• Isolated plant compounds: caffeine anhydrous, glycyrrhizin.

Single polyphenols are listed under Polyphenols & Flavonoids. Carrier and flow agents for extracts are in Excipients & Processing Aids.

Choosing within the category

• Extract type. A standardised extract is specified by its content of a named marker compound. A ratio extract is specified by its drug-to-extract ratio. Decide which one the label will declare, because it fixes the label-claim arithmetic.
• Plant part and solvent. One species can be supplied as root, leaf, fruit or seed extract, made with water, ethanol or other solvents. Both can change composition and regulatory status, so state them in the quote form.
• Carrier and physical form. Dry extracts often contain a carrier such as maltodextrin, which may have to be declared in the ingredient list. Hygroscopicity, flow, colour and taste vary widely between extracts and affect the choice of capsule, tablet or powder.
• Identity and contaminants. Botanical identity, marker content and contaminant testing are stated on the specification sheet and certificate of analysis. SoleChem sends both with its quote.

Regulatory notes

Directive 2002/46/EC lists permitted vitamins and minerals only (Annexes I and II), so botanical use in food supplements follows national rules that can differ between member states. Under Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006, the Union can restrict or prohibit substances, and its Annex III lists those affected. A food from a plant or plant part without significant EU consumption before 15 May 1997, or one made by a new production process that significantly changes its composition or structure, is a novel food under Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. Added caffeine can trigger extra labelling under Annex III of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, and claims are covered in the health-claims guide.