Plant Extract Varieties with Great Market Potential

What other plant extracts are popular in overseas markets? The following plant extract varieties is considered to have great potential after summarizing various buying information and the sales of plant extracts in the U.S. market last year.

1. Adaptogen category

Reishi extract

Used in traditional Chinese medicine in China, reishi has been popular overseas as an “adaptogen” ingredient in a large number of food and beverage products and dietary supplements. Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide is one of the most effective components of reishi, which can scavenge free radicals, bidirectionally regulate the body’s immunity and improve the body’s anti-hypoxia ability and also has the effects of lowering blood pressure, lowering blood lipids, and improving blood circulation.
Inonotus obliquus extract

It is another adaptogen mushroom commonly used overseas, being a medicinal fungus that grows on birch trees, also called Chaga mushroom. Inonotus obliquus contains chemical components of polysaccharide, fuscoporine, inotodiol, etc., with polysaccharide being the most effective component that has a good hypoglycemic effect and can effectively regulate the immune system and inhibit the proliferation of viruses.

Rhodiola rosea extract

Rhodiola rosea can increase the reserve of muscle glycogen and liver glycogen and accelerate lipolysis and proteolysis, thereby increasing energy transfer; it plays a prominent role in reducing fatigue and keeping the body energetic and vigorous for a long time. It has been proved to enhance endurance, reduce fatigue and accelerate the recovery process during and after intense physical activities.

Schisandra extract

Schisandra chinensis is the dried ripe fruit of Schisandra, Schisandraceae, perennial Austrobaileyales, and is known as five-flavor-fruit for its sweet, sour, spicy, bitter and salty flavors. The functional components of Schisandra chinensis include lignans, volatile oil, polysaccharides, etc., providing functions of sedation, sleep promotion, and heart and liver protection.

Holy basil extract

Originating in India, the seeds, leaves and stems of holy basil can be used as medicine to help boost the mood and spirit and calm the mind. Researchers found in an animal study conducted in 2007 that holy basil contains compounds ocimumosides and ocimarin that have anti-stress properties.

2. Emotional support category

Bacopa monnieri extract

Bacopa monnieri is an herb commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine mainly for stress relief and memory enhancement. Studies have shown that bacopa monnieri and its ethanol extract could significantly improve learning ability, promote cognitive function and produce significant depression relieving effects in rats. Bacopa monnieri has been widely used in various cognitive enhancement and brain invigorating supplements.

Saffron extract

Saffron crocus is used in traditional Chinese medicine in China. According to the recent clinical study findings of Pharmacant Company, saffron extract could reduce overall insomnia by 25%. This parallel, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine studied the sleep enhancing effect and safety of saffron extract in 58 adults who slept poorly. Study participants reported “feeling more awake” and “staying alert when waking up” 28 days after taking standardized 28-mg saffron extract, which improved their overall quality of life.

L-theanine

As a unique non-protein amino acid in tea, L-theanine is one of the main components of tea, accounting for 50%-60% of the total amino acids in tea, with physiological activity such as antioxidation, body immunity enhancing, nerves calming, sleep promoting, and memory improving. The National Health and Family Planning Commission issued the Announcement on Approving Theanine as a New Food Raw Material (No. 15 [2014]) on July 18, 2014 to formally approve theanine as a new food raw material for use in infant food, etc., with recommended dosage less than or equal to 0.4 g/day.

3. Immune category

Elderberry

Data provided by Innova Market Insights show that elderberry food and beverage product launches grew by 12% per year from 2017 to 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a 400% increase in consumer demand for elderberry products. According to an analyst at Technavio, the elderberry market is projected to continue growing at a compound annual growth rate of more than 7% through 2022.

Rich in bioflavonoids, anthocyanins, vitamins and other substances with high antioxidant capacity, elderberry extract has immunity enhancement effects and has long been used in the treatment of upper respiratory infections. Furthermore, elderberry can also play a role in the area of sports nutrition, where elderberry can increase the level of nitrite in the blood and convert it into nitric oxide, thereby playing an important role in skeletal muscle blood flow, oxygen uptake and glucose transport during exercise by relaxing stomach muscles, dilating blood vessels, lowering blood pressure and improving blood flow, as well as in lowering heart rate and improving oxygen utilization, to significantly improve exercise performance.

Oat β-glucan

β-glucan was the fastest-growing ingredient in the U.S. market last year. The β-(1→3, 1→4) glucan in oats is referred to as oat β-glucan, being a non-starch polysaccharide present in oat endosperm and aleurone layer cell walls. It is a non-specific immunomodulator that not only activates immune cells such as T cells, B lymphocytes, macrophages, and natural killer cells but also promotes cytokine and antibody production, playing a multifaceted regulating effect on the immune system.

Sea buckthorn extract

Sea buckthorn extracts are made from sea buckthorn and mainly include sea buckthorn fruit powder, sea buckthorn seed oil, sea buckthorn fruit oil, sea buckthorn flavonoids, procyanidins, and carotenoids. The active ingredients of sea buckthorn have been confirmed by many studies to have effects of scavenging free radicals in the human body, and increasing the content of interleukin-2 in old animals and affecting their gene expression, thereby improving the immune function of the body.

Camu camu

Originating in the upper Amazon River in the Republic of Peru, camu camu is among global fruits with the highest natural vitamin C content, with 100 g of fruit containing about 2,000-3,000 mg of vitamin C, while lemon, recognized to have high vitamin C content, has only 22 mg vitamin C per 100 g, only about 1% of that of camu camu. Camu camu is also rich in flavonoids and anthocyanins, effective in enhancing the human body’s immunity, scavenging free radicals, and beauty and skincare.

4. Hormone category

Red clover extract

Red clover is a Chinese medicinal herb that can relieve hot flash symptoms and hormonal fluctuations. According to a study of Aarhus University Hospital, if the red clover is taken in a fermented form, it could decrease significantly both the number and severity of daily hot flushes and also prevent menopausal bone loss, without any of the side effects of traditionally proscribed hormone therapies that increase the risk of cancers and cardiovascular diseases.

Fenugreek extract

Fenugreek was already consumed as a wild vegetable by the inhabitants of West Asian, Middle Eastern and Arab countries more than 2,000 years ago. It mainly plays a role in promoting female breast development and breast tissue growth and also helps greatly in soothing menopausal symptoms and improving premenstrual syndrome. In India and Arab countries, folk doctors often use fenugreek as a tonic, analgesic and emmenagogue.

Tongkat ali extract

Tongkat ali extract is an herbal preparation obtained from plants, originating in the jungles of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. It can promote testosterone secretion in men and is often used by athletes to stimulate muscle mass and for bodybuilding, and it also has a refreshing effect.

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5. Sports nutrition category

Blackcurrant extract

A study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition confirms that the polyphenol anthocyanins in blackcurrant deliver a significant sports performance improvement (0.45%), higher than caffeine (0.41%) and peak in the bloodstream two hours after consumption, activating the body’s cellular defense systems, thereby helping athletes to better prepare and adapt for peak performance and recovery.

Tart cherry extract

A study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that tart cherry could improve endurance exercise performance. The study examined 10 previously published studies on tart cherries and exercise recovery. After pooling results from the 10 published studies, it concluded that tart cherry concentrate in juice form significantly improved endurance exercise performance when consumed for seven days to 1.5 hours before cycling, swimming or running. Previous research also suggested benefits for reducing strength loss and improving muscle recovery after intensive exercise.

The Article is Translated by PharmaSources.com based on the research of fta.21food.cn.