The importance of chemical characterization in the development of tailor-made food supplements
Very often, the selection of the plant extracts to be used as raw materials in food supplements is based on the information reported in the technical data sheet and it is evaluated whether the title of active substances complies with the declared. However, it should be emphasized that the action of a plant extract is not simply reduced to “an active substance” associated with “a percentage” and more in-depth investigations in terms of chemical characterization can bring out other peculiarities that are not normally considered, but which can be innovative in terms of functionality and effectiveness.
For example, through an analytical protocol developed in our laboratories, it was possible to highlight the different functional potentials of commercial extracts based on cranberry determining, in addition to the quantity of total PACs, also the abundance of PAC-A and their degree of polymerization. This in-depth characterization of the raw materials led to the identification of a blend of extracts unique in terms of phytochemical composition, very active for the treatment and prevention of bacterial cystitis, whose effectiveness was subsequently tested and confirmed by in-vitro tests.
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