Because of its small drug resistance, plant extracts are not easy to appear additive residues and some toxic side effects, and have high edible safety.

In recent years, the research and development of functional food and beverage using plant extracts as raw materials has become a hot topic in many countries.

In the new coronavirus ravages Europe and the United States now, foreign consumers are crazy to buy botanical medicines to fight the flu.

Plant extracts are substances derived from plants (such as herbs, spices, essential oils, etc.) that are extracted or processed using appropriate solvents or methods (such as concentration, distillation, extraction, separation, drying).

How to classify plant extracts?

According to the different characters, it can be divided into vegetable oil, extract, powder, lens, etc. According to its function, it can be divided into growth promoters, immune modulators, antioxidants, flavoring agents, flavor eliminators, anti-mildew agents, and product quality improvers. According to the different components of the extract, it can be divided into alkaloids, flavonoids, polysaccharides, glycosides, volatile oils, organic acids and other compounds.

The main components of plant extracts

(1) alkaloids, that is, alkaloids, are important active components of Chinese herbs, common ones such as the small spline in Coptis and ephedrine in ephedra.

(2) Flavonoids have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and other biological activities. Common flavonoids include propolis, soy isoflavones, anthocyanins, tea polyphenols and so on.

(3) polysaccharides have the effect of lowering serum cholesterol, anti-cancer and anti-cancer, regulating immunity, such as ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide, mushroom polysaccharide, alga polysaccharide.

(4) Glycosides are substances formed by combining sugars with phenols and flavonoids. Different types of glycosides have different physiological activities and have various functions.

(5) Volatile oils, also known as essential oils, are oily liquids with aroma and volatility, and common volatile oils such as peppermint oil, rose essential oil, garlic oil.

(6) Organic acids such as citric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, ascorbic acid, etc. are the most effective substitutes for antibiotics and can play a role in regulating intestinal flora.

Is plant extract a food additive or food?

At present, there is no uniform regulation for the use of plant extracts as food raw materials in our country, and some substances are prescribed in different forms.

According to GB2760 "Rules for the Use of Food Additives", some plant extracts can be used as food additives, which can be mainly divided into:

(1) Antioxidants: rosemary extract, tea polyphenols, licorice antioxidants, etc.;

(2) Natural flavors: lilac bud tincture, bay leaf extract, ginger extract, licorice extract, aloe extract, etc.;

(3) Coloring agent: beet red, caramel color, curcumin, chili red, citrus yellow, etc.

(4) Sweetener: Somasame, stevia, momorrhoside, etc.

What are the popular plant extracts in the food and beverage industry in 2019?

According to Innova's latest statistics, in 2019, the top five raw materials tracked globally for food and beverage applications containing plant extracts are: rosemary extract, hop extract, onion extract, Guarana extract, and momorang fruit extract.

Rosemary extract is a non-volatile natural spice extracted from rosemary with good antioxidant and antibacterial effects, rich in terpenoids, flavonoids and phenols, and has been approved as a food additive in China and the European Union. Rosemary extract has obvious effects in preventing oil oxidation and maintaining meat flavor, so it can be well applied to fried and baked foods.

Hops were first used in Germany, and the Germans first added hops to beer when brewing, thus giving the beer a refreshing bitter taste and a fragrant aroma. In recent years, studies have found that hops contain resins, volatile oils, polyphenols, polysaccharides and other chemical components, with anti-tumor, anti-oxidation, antibacterial and other biological activities. In addition to being used to brew beer, some juices, sodas, kombucha, and even snacks are beginning to add hops to create beer flavor.

Onion is one of the plants that can be used as both medicine and food. It contains more flavonoids, especially in the skin of onion. Flavonoids have antibacterial, anticancer, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects. Onion extract is expected to be widely used in food preservation field because of its good antibacterial and antioxidant effects.

Guarana contains a substance that is very similar to caffeine and has a similar effect to caffeine. It has the effect of improving body endurance, can stimulate the central nervous system, and increase the metabolic rate of the body. In recent years, the energy drink industry has started using Guarana extract instead of caffeine.

Momorrhoea is rich in momorrhoea glycosides, the sweetness is 300 times that of sucrose, has the effect of lowering blood sugar, can be used to assist the treatment of diabetes; Rich in vitamin C, it has anti-aging, anti-cancer and beautifying effects. It can be widely used in nutrition and health products, infant food, extruded food, seasoning, middle-aged and elderly food, solid drinks, pastries, cold food, convenience food, instant food and so on.