On December 20, 2018, after the launch of plant extract products for the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries, Alfa Chemistry, the world’s leading chemical supplier, announced that they will offer a variety of plant extracts for the health food industry.
Plant extracts are active ingredients in plants obtained by physical and chemical extraction and separation. Plant extracts can be widely used as raw material of health food. Alfa Chemistry currently offers more than 130 plant extracts for the food industry, including glycosides, acids, polyphenols, polysaccharides, terpenoids, flavonoids, alkaloids and more.
Functions of plant extracts in health food
Antioxidation
External pollution, radiation exposure and other factors can lead to free radicals in the human body. Excessive free radicals can cause aging or other diseases in the body, and antioxidants can effectively overcome these hazards. Therefore, antioxidants in plant extracts have become one of the main research topics in the health care products market. For example, tea polyphenols in green tea extract can directly scavenge reactive oxygen species, and apple polyphenols have a significant role in preventing or even reversing oxidation.
Immunoregulation
Plant extracts can be used as immunomodulators in health foods. For example, the main active ingredient of gynostemma extract is gypenoside, which increases the number of white blood cells in the peripheral blood and enhances the phagocytic capacity of white blood cells. In addition, Gynostemma pentaphyllum polysaccharides can also enhance the phagocytosis of peritoneal macrophages.
Disease Prevention
Healthy foods containing plant extracts with specific functions cannot be used for the treatment of diseases, but have a disease prevention function for special populations. Ginkgo biloba extract is one of the most widely used plant extracts. It has the function of regulating blood lipids, preventing atherosclerosis and various cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
Examples of plant extracts in health food
Saffron Extract: Studies have shown that saffron may be effective in suppressing appetite, helping to burn fat, reducing sugar cravings, and improving mood and sleep. Therefore, in addition to being used as an appetite suppressant, saffron can also be used to relieve many diseases such as asthma, cough, sleep problems, arteriosclerosis, depression and heartburn.
Fermented soybean extract: The fermented soybean extract is produced by symbiotic fermentation of organic soybeans with 20 lactobacilli and yeast. Studies have shown that fermented soybean extract has a strong antioxidant activity against unsaturated fatty acid peroxidation compared to vitamin C and Trolox. Fermented soybean extract can be used both as an antioxidant and as a free radical receptor to convert free radicals into harmless substances through a process of energy-reducing.
Indian Bread Extract: It is also be called poria cocos or tuckahoe. The Indian bread extract contains several active ingredients, including polysaccharides and triterpenoids. It has anti-aging and whitening effects, and can promote the recovery of the body’s immune system and reduce the side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Black Sesame Extract: Sesamin in sesame protects the liver from free radicals in the body, and a healthy liver can detoxify the body and fight cancer and other diseases. Sesame is rich in fiber, lignans (cell enhancers) and plant sterols (phytochemicals) that can help treat constipation and prevent colon cancer. Black sesame is rich in magnesium, which lowers blood pressure and helps prevent diabetes, stroke and heart disease.
Pawpaw Extract: Pawpaw extract is rich in vitamins and minerals. Vitamin B in pawpaw extract helps convert proteins, carbohydrates and fats in the body into energy. Vitamin C in pawpaw extract plays an important role in maintaining cell health and strengthening the immune system. A variety of minerals such as manganese, copper, potassium and magnesium are also present in pawpaw extract.
“In the last few months, we have introduced plant extract products used in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries, all of which have a good sales volume,” said Brenda Randy, the Marketing Manager of Alfa Chemistry. “So we decided to launch a batch of plant extract products specifically for use as raw materials in the health food industry.”
About Alfa Chemistry
Alfa Chemistry offers an extensive catalog of building blocks, reagents, catalysts, reference materials, and research chemicals in a wide range of applications. It also provides analytical services and laboratory services to the customers. Products listed on the website are either in stock or can be resynthesized within a reasonable time frame. In stock products can be shipped out within 3-5 business days upon receipt of customers’ purchase order.
More than 300 different organizations from at least 40 countries worldwide have used Alfa Chemistry’s products and services since its inception. A large part of Alfa Chemistry’s customers are pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including Pfizer, Novartis, Merck & Co., Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, and Bayer. Alfa Chemistry is also a preferred partner for many universities and non-profit institutes.
Media Contact
Company Name: Alfa Chemistry
Contact Person: Tylor Keller
Email: Send Email
Phone: 1-201-754-8553
Address:2200 Smithtown Avenue, Room 1 Ronkonkoma
City: Holtsville
State: New York 11779-7329
Country: United States
Website: http://www.alfa-chemistry.com/
