Product Popularization

In the plant extract industry, an interesting yet often overlooked phenomenon is that even when industry insiders and customers communicate in depth, they often find that what they are talking about is not the same thing. You introduce "Sea Buckthorn Extract," but the customer keeps asking about "Flavonoid Content in Sea Buckthorn." You provide a "10:1" specification, but they are concerned about whether it belongs to a "standardized extract." This is not about the depth of expertise, but rather reflects the key understanding of this field—plant extracts have never had just one way of understanding and classification. That's why the market prices for Sea Buckthorn Extract can be so varied. In this situation, what points should purchasing managers focus on to get the batch they want?

I.First level of classification: 

The source of the plant. This is the earliest and most basic way of classification. Any part of the plant can be used for extraction, such as roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, etc., but if you only know its source, you don't know which part is valuable.

II. At a more detailed level

The second level is what the industry is particularly concerned about: what components are being extracted and what role they play? This leads to the concept of "active ingredients," such as: Polysaccharides (Astragalus Polysaccharides, Ganoderma Polysaccharides, Lentinula Polysaccharides), Flavonoids (Rutin, Soy Isoflavones, Tea Polyphenols), Terpenes (Artemisinin, Andrographolide), Glycosides (Ginsenosides, Amygdalin), and so on.

III.The third layer:

Differences in specifications and testing methods. Different specifications determine the application direction of the product, and secondly, different testing methods also affect the product's content. For example, common specifications on the market include 20% sea buckthorn flavonoids, 30% sea buckthorn flavonoids, and 40%-50% high-content specifications. Most of these are tested using UV detection. When R&D personnel conduct testing, they must also consider HPLC testing, which is a more precise and reliable method. It can accurately determine the specific content of individual components such as rhein and quercetin, providing more accurate results. High-quality sea buckthorn flavonoids extracted from real sources are typically tested using HPLC testing and pricing. Focusing only on UV detection can lead to artificially inflated results, which can only measure the approximate total flavonoid content and cannot distinguish the specific type of flavonoid. This creates room for "mixing and matching." Some unscrupulous merchants use cheap rutin (a common flavonoid) to mix and match, making the UV-detectable total flavonoid content "meet the standards," but they almost contain no rhein, a unique component of sea buckthorn, requiring careful discernment. This layer of classification directly determines the product positioning, application direction, and price range. It is also the layer that R&D, registration, and brand parties care most about. Many plant extracts that "look the same" have their true differences right here.

There is another layer of classification that people might be concerned about: how is this product extracted? What extraction process is used? Even with the same plant and the same active ingredients, different extraction processes can yield completely different results. Common extraction processes include: water extraction, alcohol extraction, and supercritical CO2 extraction; common drying processes include: spray drying and vacuum freeze-drying. Products extracted using different processes may also differ. The first type is a ratio extract, such as 10:1, 20:1, characterized by being inexpensive but with significant component fluctuations; the second type is a standardized extract, such as flavonoids ≥40%, saponins ≥80%, which are the mainstream in the market and the raw materials for most functional products; the third type is monomer compounds, with purity reaching 98%, 99%, which are very close to raw pharmaceutical materials, and the price gap can be several times or even ten times greater.

In conclusion

Therefore, a truly mature purchasing decision begins with understanding: the different classifications and specifications of plant extracts are essentially tools designed for different application scenarios. Choosing raw materials is far more than just comparing prices; it is a precise match between standardization levels, key component content, extraction ratios, and final product requirements. Only by establishing this comprehensive perspective can the "extract" you select for your product not just be a raw material, but also a reliable foundation for quality, efficacy, and competitiveness.