With the increasing side effects of antibiotics and the growing incidence of diseases caused by the stressful and hectic lifestyles of the contemporary youth population, more consumers are gradually becoming aware of the health benefits of botanicals and plant extracts. Demand for their applications in skin care, healthcare, functional foods, nutraceuticals and cosmetics has increased significantly.

According to Markets and Markets analysis, the botanical extracts market was valued at approximately USD 23.7 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach USD 59.4 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 16.5% from 2019 to 2025. Increasing awareness about the side effects of synthetic flavors and the health benefits of botanical medicines and herbal extracts is significantly driving the botanical extracts market. Moreover, the demand for botanical extracts in the food & beverage industry is growing with the increase in R&D activities in the botanical extracts market and the popularity of convenience foods.

With the continuation of the post epidemic era, immune health and sleep health are expected to become the new favorites in the plant extracts application market, while brain health and eye care have also been the two popular needs of people for phytoextracts dietary supplements that have endured for a long time, and the following introduces you to several plant extracts that have a relatively high potential for future market applications.

False Amaranthus Extract
Main effects: Brain health

Bacopa monnieri is a common herb used in Ayurvedic medicine for stress relief and memory enhancement. Studies have shown that bacopa monnieri and its extracts have brain-boosting properties. Bacopa monnieri and its ethanolic extracts significantly improved the learning ability of rats, and the cognitive-enhancing effects were mainly attributed to two active saponins, bacopa monnieri saponins A and B, in the ethanolic extracts.

In addition to promoting learning and memory functions in normal rats, the active ingredients can also inhibit amnesia (memory loss) induced by scopolamine, electroconvulsive shock and restraint stress, and produce significant relief of depression. Currently, Pseudohippocampus has been widely used in various cognitive enhancement and brain health supplements.

Hops Extract
Main effects: emotional support, bone and joint health

Hops are the substance that gives beer its flavor and preservative properties, and are an indispensable ingredient in beer brewing. In beer brewing, hops give the beer a refreshing aroma, a slightly bitter taste and preservative properties, as well as forming a white, fine and rich foam and clarifying the wort.

In addition, hops have excellent pharmacological properties. Studies have shown that the polyphenols in hops have obvious antioxidant effects; hops contained in the serpentine ketone, humulone and other chemical components, tuberculosis bacillus, staphylococcus aureus, bacillus subtilis and other inhibitory effects, and has a lowering of blood glucose, promote digestion, tranquillize the mind to decompression and alleviate the role of joint pain. Currently, hops extract is often used abroad in dietary supplements and food and beverages related to sleep promotion and bone and joint health.

Recent Japanese research has found that hops extract can also improve concentration and promote thinking. Therefore, in the future, hops extract can be used in convenient and ready-to-eat soft candies or pressed candies after optimizing the bitterness through the deodorization technology to assist students and working people in thinking and using their brains.

Marigold Extract
Main effects: Eye protection

Marigold flowers, leaves and roots can be used as medicine, with the effect of clearing away heat and resolving phlegm, tonifying the blood and promoting menstruation, detoxifying and reducing swelling. The flowers are harvested in fall and winter and used fresh or dried for upper respiratory tract infections, whooping cough, bronchitis, keratitis, pharyngitis. Marigold essential oil, can prevent mosquito bites. In France, it is widely used in perfume.

Marigold in the lutein content is extremely high, other carotenoids impurities, easy to separate and purify, so the industrial production of lutein extraction at home and abroad, are pigmented marigold as raw materials.

The main active ingredients of marigold extract are lutein and zeaxanthin, which belong to carotenoids, and are not only important natural pigments, but also an excellent antioxidant, and the main components that make up the macular region of the retina of the human eye.

Studies have shown that lutein in the eye has a filtering effect on ultraviolet rays, and has the effect of protecting the eyes and eyesight from damage caused by ultraviolet rays emitted by sunlight, computers, etc. It helps to slow down the aging of the eyes, degeneration, lesions, and reduces the incidence of eye diseases.

Ginkgo Biloba Extract
Main effects: Improve memory

The main medicinal components of ginkgo biloba are ginkgo flavonoids and ginkgolides, which have the effects of activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis, clearing up collaterals and relieving pain, astringing the lungs and calming wheezing, resolving turbidity and lowering lipids. Besides, ginkgo biloba can dissolve cholesterol and dilate blood vessels, which is very effective in treating cardiovascular diseases, memory loss and dementia.

At present, ginkgo biloba products are one of the most used natural medicines in the prevention of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases all over the world.

China’s ginkgo biloba extract production accounts for half of the world, more than 130 countries around the world use ginkgo biloba extract, and the global market of various ginkgo biloba preparations, health food and cosmetics totaled more than 10 billion U.S. dollars in 2019, which is the leading species of global botanical pharmaceutical preparations.

Galangal Extract
Primary Role: Brain Health

Galangal is also known as wind ginger, Xiao Liang Jiang, Gao Liang Jiang, Liang Jiang, etc. It is the dried rhizome of Alpinia officinarum Hance, Galangal, family Zingiberaceae. It has the same origin as medicine and food, and can be used as a flavoring agent with cooking.

In China’s ancient pharmacopoeia, such as “Compendium of Materia Medica” and “Chinese Pharmacopoeia” have records of galangal. Galangal has been shown to regulate gastrointestinal function, analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Recently, new research has evaluated the safety and efficacy of galangal extract on brain health.

The extract is EnXtra, a branded ingredient from Enovate Biolife, Inc. In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study, a total of 69 participants were randomly assigned to receive 300 mg of EnXtra and 200 mg of caffeine, 300 mg of EnXtra alone, and a placebo twice daily for 12 weeks.

Researchers assessed cardiovascular safety by measuring changes in QT interval, blood pressure, and heart rate. Outcomes were determined by measuring changes in perceived alertness and sedation using the Bond and Lader Mood Scale, sleep disturbance using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and daytime sleepiness using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale.

The results of the study showed no significant changes in QT interval, blood pressure, or heart rate in all groups after 12 weeks, suggesting that the caffeine-containing or non-caffeine-containing components were safe. In terms of efficacy measures, Bond and Lader scores were significantly increased in the EnXtra and EnXtra/caffeine groups in terms of alertness and sedation compared to placebo. These results occurred over a three-hour period, and there were no significant changes in any of the measures of sleep quality or daytime sleepiness in either group. The results of this study were published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

With the popularity of puzzle ingredients and consumer demand for natural, caffeine-free alternatives, the current study suggests that EnXtra is a viable and safe solution for manufacturers of finished products. Results on safety parameters are especially relevant for older consumers who are looking to support their cognitive health.

Lycopene
Main effects: whitening, antioxidant

Lycopene is a naturally occurring red open-chain hydrocarbon carotenoid. Neither humans nor animals can produce lycopene, and it is currently prepared by plant extraction, chemical synthesis and microbial fermentation. Lycopene is a functional natural pigment with physiological functions of preventing many kinds of cancers, protecting cardiovascular and cerebral blood vessels, protecting skin, improving immunity, etc. It is widely used in the fields of health care products, cosmetics and food and beverage.

Main application areas:
Health care products: GNPD data show that there are 177 new products containing lycopene supplements in the world. According to the State Food and Drug Administration (CFDA), there are 31 kinds of health products containing lycopene, of which 2 are imported and the rest are domestic. These 31 kinds of health products are mainly used for antioxidant, delaying aging, enhancing immunity, regulating blood lipids, etc., of which there are 2 kinds of tablets, 1 kind of oil, and the rest are capsules.

Cosmetics: GNPD data show that there are 81 new skin care products and 51 color cosmetics containing lycopene. Typical products such as lycopene moisturizing lotion have whitening and anti-aging effects. Domestic products include lycopene whitening essence applicator injection, which has antioxidant, anti-allergy and whitening effects.

Food and Beverage: Lycopene has gained “Novel Food” approval in Europe and GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) status in the US in the food and beverage sector, with non-alcoholic beverages being the most popular. 20 new products were introduced, according to GNPD data: 7 in bread, breakfast cereals, etc.; 7 in processed meats, fish and eggs, fish and eggs; 7 in the field of dairy products; 6 in the field of chocolate and confectionery; 5 in sauces and dressings; and 5 in desserts and ice cream. Chinese Patent 200810017681 describes a method of applying lycopene in dairy products, applying it to dairy products, which maintains the nutrition of dairy products and enriches their health care functions.

Rosemary Extract
Main effects: Antioxidant

Rosemary extract can be divided into oil-soluble and water-soluble two kinds, the active ingredient of the former is mainly for the sage acid and sage phenol, the latter is mainly for the rosemary acid.

In addition, rosemary extract has the property of high temperature resistance: at 240 degrees Celsius, it is still very stable, while the stability of general plant extracts is easily affected by temperature.

Rosemarinic acid is a natural antioxidant with stronger antioxidant activity than vitamin E, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, folic acid, etc. It helps prevent cell damage caused by free radicals.

Since rosemary extract is insensitive to light and heat as well as acids, it is recognized in the industry as a natural antioxidant because of its antioxidant effects in fats and oils, meat products, puffed foods and even condiments.

Rosemary extract as a natural antioxidant is currently one of the best performing varieties, and will have a very wide range of application opportunities in the fight against fat oxidation. For example, how to protect a variety of unsaturated fatty acids rancidity and oxidation, now popular fish oil capsules, CLA, ALA, etc. to maximize the health benefits, do not rule out the enterprise will rosemary extract compound which, for the very easy to oxidize the unsaturated fatty acids to protect them.

The preservation of healthy unsaturated fatty acids in the dairy sector will also be a place where rosemary extract can play a role. More convenience foods such as instant noodles, potato chips, French fries, etc. will need to look to rosemary extract in the future if they are to be legitimately categorized as healthy products.

Elderberry Extract
Main effects: antiviral, immune enhancement

Elderberry has been known as the best remedy for colds and fevers since the time of Hippocrates and has become popular all over the world. Some people call it the “European blueberry” for its immune-boosting and antiviral properties.

Elderberry is the fruit of a deciduous shrub belonging to the Lonicera family, which contains a variety of anthocyanins, flavonoids, polyphenols and other nutrients.

A randomized, double-blind trial of elderberry extract was conducted during the 1992-1993 flu outbreak in Israel, in which patients were given the drug at the onset of flu symptoms, with half of the subjects given elderberry extract and the other half given a placebo as a control.

On the second day after administration, seventy-five percent of the patients in the elderberry group reported an improvement in their symptoms; by the third day, 90 percent of the elderberry group felt completely better. In contrast, only eight percent of the placebo group reported symptomatic relief within 24 hours, and it was not until the sixth day that 90 percent of the patients were considered completely cured. In other studies, the use of elderberry extract against both influenza A and B viruses has also proven effective.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted in Norway in 2000 showed that patients treated with elderberry extract (at a dose of 15 ml four times a day) took four days less time for their symptoms to resolve compared to those in the placebo group; elderberry extract reduced symptoms of both influenza A and B in two to three days, while symptoms in the placebo group persisted for six days before beginning to resolve. six days before relief began.

Elderberries are rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients that boost the body’s immune system. Elderberries have a dark purple color, a sign that they contain anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are flavonoids, which are powerful antioxidants with more antioxidant power than vitamin C, protecting cells from damage. Elderberries contain anthocyanins that increase the production of cytokines, an immune-boosting protein. Anthocyanins also have anti-inflammatory properties, which helps reduce severe flu symptoms such as aches and pains and fever, among others.

Cornflower Flower Extract
Main effects: Skin care, eye care

Cornflower flower extract in cosmetics, skin care products, the main role is astringent, the risk factor of 1, relatively safe, can be assured that the use of pregnant women generally have no effect, cornflower flower extract is not acne-causing, can be isolated 27 kinds of anti-inflammatory effect of triterpenoids, can be used for the treatment of dermatitis, the skin has an inhibitory effect on the induced allergy; can enhance the resistance of the capillaries, inhibit the permeability of the capillaries And has an anti-inflammatory effect; at the same time can eliminate free radicals, antioxidant properties, has a role in alleviating aging; also has a certain inhibitory effect on melanin cells, so there is a certain whitening spot efficacy.

Cornflower flower extract ingredients are suitable for 7 types of skin: dry skin, wrinkled skin, sensitive skin, non-pigmented skin, pigmented skin, oily skin, and tight skin.

Cornflower smell is more elegant, not particularly inclined to floral or herbal fragrance, but the natural flavor is not difficult to accept, known as one of the four major eye wash puree (German chamomile, Roman chamomile, mahogany), and can even be used as a substitute for eye drops, but in view of the special nature of contact lenses, it is still recommended to use the puree to do a relaxing and soothing care steps after removal. In addition to the long-term face of the computer, ambulatory work a person, can also be used to paste the way the pure dew, to relieve the soreness of the eyes, dry and itchy and fatigue of the symptoms, mixed with rock rose pure dew, can reduce the fine lines under the eyes tight skin.