Adulteration of Ginkgo biloba Leaf Extract

By Stefan Gafner, PhD*American Botanical Council, 6200 Manor Road,Austin, TX 78723*Corresponding author: email

Keywords: adulterant, adulteration, Ginkgo biloba,ginkgo leaf extract, Japanese pagoda tree, Japanesesophora, kaempferol, quercetin, rutin, Sophora japonica,Styphnolobium japonicum

Goal: The goal of this bulletin is to provide timely informationand/or updates on issues of adulteration of ginkgo(Ginkgo biloba) leaf and ginkgo leaf extracts to the internationalherbal industry and extended natural productscommunity in general. It is intended to give a brief overviewon the occurrence of adulteration, known adulterantsand analytical means to detect them, the market situation,and consequences for the consumer and the industry.

To read the full article click here.

[1] 2018 ABC.

Retail sales for botanical extract products continue to grow at 7-10 percent each year. This should be good news for consumers. In addition to the thousands of published studies that support the benefits of high grade extracts, as one herbalist said to me, “One of the things that I like about herbal supplements is that they have a focused ability to kickstart real change.” We’re talking here about the benefits of mainstream herbal extracts such as ginkgo, milk thistle, bilberry, turmeric and the others that form the mainline of herbal usage today.

Where does the supply of these products really stand? On one hand, there’s the genuine science supporting their benefits; on the other, reliable reports from ABC, AHP, and industry sources confirm the widespread use of adulterated materials, designed to reduce costs but consequently reduce beneficial outcomes.

To read the full article click here

[1] 2018 NBJ Dark Issue.

Sales of mushroom supplements have increased from 25% - 60% each year over the last three years [1]. To make a wider selection of premium mushroom supplements available to their customers, ENI has released their new MUSHROOMS-PLUS™ product line. These products contain organic mushroom extracts, with key ingredients that add to their consumer appeal and effectiveness. All the extracts are supplied by Nammex, and are standardized for Beta-D-Glucans levels.

Key products in the line are ReiCalm™, that combines Red Reishi extract with ENI’s AlphaWave® L-Theanine, and Ergothioneine-Plus, with Ergothioneine and Shitake mushroom extract.

For more information please go to MUSHROOMS-PLUS™ and ReiCalm™

[1] 2022 NBJ Herbs and Botanicals Report.

A new triple blind, placebo controlled clinical study, published in Neurology and Therapy finds that AlphaWave® increases frontal alpha power, an indication of relaxation without drowsiness, in addition to other objective markers of reduced stress and tension. This is the second study to confirm the relaxation benefits of AlphaWave® L-Theanine.

To read the full article click here
To access the full study click here

Date: 08 September, 2021

Almost every company in our industry has been impacted in some way by the current situation of worldwide shipping delays.

At Ethical Naturals (ENI) we’ve been preparing for this since Covid began in early 2020: working with our key manufacturers to build inventory and assure ongoing supply to our regular customers. In a recent interview for NutraIngredients, Cal Bewicke, ENI CEO, talked about our inventory position today:

‘As soon as Covid began, we progressively built more inventory, planning six, nine months ahead. That’s worked well for us, and we’ve been shipping out pretty much on time throughout this period.

We always carry substantial inventory; now it’s even larger. A number of companies rely on our proprietary ingredients like AlphaWave® L-Theanine, GreenGrown® Glucosamine, and the core botanical extracts that we supply. We won’t let those companies down.’

In answer to the question: ‘When do you anticipate it will return to normal?’ Cal stated:

‘Someday I expect we’ll return to a ‘new normal’, but I can’t say when that will be. The positive that’s come out of this situation is that many of us have come to see again the value of strong, dependable and well-invested supply chains at every level. That’s the way we move forward, by supporting each other in the quality investments of time and resources that we make into our industry. This goes for every step in the supply chain, from the field to the finished products.’

At ENI, we work to support your work.
Sincerely,
The Team at Ethical Naturals

Links to two articles of interest:
"Port snarl in China shows shipping crisis from far over"
"A record-breaking 44 container ships are stuck off the coast of California".

It’s been known for centuries that eating fruits prevented scurvy, but it wasn’t until 1930 Albert Szent-Gyorzi was awarded the Nobel Prize for discovering the identity of the vitamin-C molecule. The name given to it, ‘ascorbic acid’ literally means ‘anti-scurvy’.

To read the full article click here.

Grape extracts growing popularity

Grape extracts of all kinds: skin, seed and whole grape are reaching a new level of popularity with supplement buying consumers. This may be because we’re dealing with the new lifestyle challenges of today, when the extract benefits that support cardiovascular health and anti-oxidant activity mean even more to us than they did a year ago

To read the full article click here.

Cranberry: the journey through nature and science

Cranberries, the beautiful red fruits of Vaccinium macrocarpon ​have been valued for many centuries for both their food and medicinal qualities. Indigenous to N.America, cranberries were widely used by Native Americans. They quickly became popular with settlers from Europe, and in 1672, in one of the earliest records of medicinal use, John Josselyn described Cranberries as being an excellent protection against scurvy [1]. By 1789 the fruit was so in demand that the New Jersey legislature restricted the harvesting of berries.

To read the full article click here.

Glucosamine: history and nature​

Glucosamine was first identified and prepared in 1876 by Georg Ledderhose, through a process that involved the hydrolysis of chitin with concentrated hydrochloric acid. However it wasn’t until the 1960’s that its potential application in joint care was discovered in Italy by Professor Luigi Rovati, the founder of the pharmaceutical giant RottaPharm-Madaus.

To read the full article click here.

In 1747 James Lind conducted one of the first placebo controlled clinical trials on record when he tested 6 groups of sailors suffering from scurvy, with six different treatment regimens. Only oranges, lemons and limes were effective. Thereafter, British ships began carrying barrels of limes (when available) to prevent scurvy. Thus, in ports and countries around the world the English came to be known as ‘Limeys’.

To read the full article click here.