Lipophilic Saw Palmetto Extract Specifications
The Saw Palmetto Harvesting Company has set the world standard for extractable steroles and fatty acids of the saw palmetto berry.
The Saw Palmetto Harvesting Company maintains the highest standards by the following:
- Harvesting of only ripe berries
- Proper drying
- Grinding to certain particle size
- Percolating in alcohol at exact temperatures for exact length of time
- Distillation to remove alcohol
- Filtration
leaving a product that is the finest available for Softgel processing. Exact specifics on the actual components of the extraction process are considered proprietary in nature and not disclosed for competitive reasons.
Below is the Saw Palmetto Harvesting Company's release specifications:
| Stock plant |
Serenoa repens |
| Used part of plant |
fruit |
| Extraction medium |
95% (V/V) ethanol |
| Ratio solvent: native dried fruit |
10 : 1 |
| Method |
percolation |
| Ratio native dried fruit: lipophilic contents |
10 : 1 (8.3-12.5%) |
Raw material:
| Description |
dark-brown, oily liquid |
| Odor |
intensive and specific |
| Taste |
characteristic aromatic |
| Solubility |
insoluble in water, miscible with fatty oils and fat-soluble organic solvents |
| Relative density |
0.900 (0.890 - 0.9100) |
Identity:
| Identity Sterole total (fingerprint) |
Identity Fatty acids (fingerprint) |
| positive |
positive |
Assay / Phytosterole::
| Campesterol |
0.01 - 0.1% |
| Stigmasterol |
0.01 - 0.1% |
| ß-Sitosterol |
0.1 - 0.4% |
| Sterole total |
0> 0.15% |
Assay / Fatty acids:
| Caprylic acid |
1.0 - 3.0% |
| Capric acid |
1.0 - 3.0% |
| Lauric acid |
25.0 - 32.0% |
| Myristic acid |
10.0 - 15.0% |
| Palmitic acid |
7.0 - 11.0% |
| Stearic acid |
1.0 - 2.0% |
| Oleic acid |
26.0 - 35.0% |
| cis-Linoleic acid |
3.0 - 5.0% |
| Linolenic acid |
0.5 - 1.5% |
| Fatty Acid Total |
> 85-95% |
Purity:
| Water content |
< 1.0 % |
| Peroxide value |
< 2 |
| Assay ethanol |
< 1.0 % |