Addressing bioavailability and dosage
The choice of extraction process may influence the quality or bioavailability of a given botanical product, but it may also be important for intellectual property considerations.
Foreman cites the example of saffron which, as he says, has been used for its bioactive properties for many centuries, in Europe and the Middle East, especially as a way of promoting mental wellbeing. “There are at least three or four different saffron ingredients available, which differ in how they’re extracted or what standard they’re measured against,” he says.
‘Composition of matter’ patents are common, he says, and allow companies to demonstrate that their product is consistently different from others—typically, in the specific levels of bioactives.
If consumers are not always aware of the different extraction processes, they are increasingly conscious of the issue of efficacious dosage. This variable can make a huge difference to the end product.
“For example, there are two leading ashwagandha ingredients on the market,” Foreman says. “While one uses only the roots, the other uses both roots and leaves, and they apply different extraction processes.” As a result of this divergence, one product has an efficacious dose of 300mg and the other of 125mg, Foreman reports. For any ingredient, this type of information is clearly essential, and should be verified by clinical trials, he adds.
Bioavailability is another area where brands and suppliers of active ingredients will try to differentiate themselves. While most botanical ingredients are not soluble, by micronising a product such as sage, the herb can be made dispersible through a liquid. With a range of botanicals, micronising can also be a first step in combining the ingredient with a lipid or protein to improve bioavailability and absorption.
Microencapsulation has been used in this way to improve the benefits of products such as turmeric and lycopene—in the case of lycopene, in one instance, by combining it with whey protein.
At Lubrizol, Gómez underscores the ways in which microencapsulation can support different botanical ingredients. “Botanicals may not be very stable, as in the case of carotenoids such as astaxanthin or lutein, or spirulina green algae extract,” she says. “They may have poor solubility and bioavailability, as in the case of curcumin, or they may simply have a bitter taste like caffeine or green tea extract.”
This is all in addition to the encapsulation’s ability to protect against harsh process conditions and act as a ’delivery system’ to enhance bioavailability, she says.
Watch: Botanical innovation and quality considerations featuring experts featuring Ji Hongli of Herbal Extracts Association, Amit Srivastava of Nutrify India, and Heather Granato of Informa Markets (originally broadcast live as part of Vitafoods Asia Digital Week 2021)