Application of plant extracts

Plant extract is a product that uses plants as raw materials to obtain and concentrate one or more effective ingredients in plants directionally through physical and chemical extraction and separation processes without changing the structure of effective ingredients. Plant extract industry is a new industry developed in recent 20 years, which has been widely used in food, medicine, cosmetics, agriculture and other fields. Although the time is not long, the development momentum is rapid. The development and application of plant extracts have become an important strategic measure for enterprises to improve their competitiveness.

There are many kinds of plant extracts with various functions. One kind of extract often has different functions, but it can be roughly divided into four categories: coloring, flavor output, pharmacological effect and health care function.

Coloring: plant pigment is the main component of plant color. Some plants are rich in pigment, which can be used to extract pigment. There are dozens of plant pigments in China, such as curcumin, safflower yellow pigment, radish red, beet red, sorghum red, pepper red, etc.

Flavor: plant extracts are often rich in characteristic components that can effectively stimulate the senses, such as sweeteners, volatile substances, etc. Natural sweetener is a popular new type of sweetener. It is not only sweet, but also an ideal substitute for sucrose, with significant health effects. Such as stevioside, siraitin, etc. Essential oil is a concentrated volatile substance, which is often used to prepare spices. It is also the industry with the lowest application threshold and the least restriction of laws and regulations among plant extracts.

Pharmacological effect: Chinese herbal medicine has a long history and flourishes in Asia. In recent years, driven by the concept of traditional Chinese medicine, it has gained reputation worldwide.

Health function: The components of plant extracts include glycosides, acids, polyphenols, polysaccharides, terpenoids, flavonoids, alkaloids, etc. These ingredients have been proved to have biological activity and significant effects on human health. Developing its health function has become the mainstream application trend of plant extracts.