Potent botanicals poised to meet increased demand amid COVID-19, flag industry experts

21 Oct 2020 --- Consumers are looking to botanicals for natural wellness relief from conditions associated with the pandemic’s impact. Some of the most sought-after botanicals respond to an increased interest in immunity, cognitive function and eye health.

NutritionInsight speaks to key suppliers about today’s top-trending botanicals and considerations for manufacturers to ensure efficacy and sufficient supply.

“For several years, consumers have become aware that ‘we are what we eat.’ As a result, there is a trend toward choosing natural products and, specifically, toward botanicals,” says Núria Jiménez, marketing specialist of nutraceutical ingredients at Lubrizol Life Science, Health.

Even before the pandemic, botanicals for improved wellness were on the rise. The American Botanical Council (ABC) reports the US sales of herbal supplements increased by 8.6 percent in 2019, driven largely by CBD, mushroom and elderberry sales. 

ABC further recognizes that botanicals and botanically derived ingredients can address a far-reaching range of conditions, from liver support to mood support. 

Botanicals amid the pandemic
Immunity has undoubtedly gained significant traction since the global spread of the novel coronavirus. Franziska Herbst, team leader marketing at Anklam Extrakt, notes that the current situation has accelerated echinacea preparations for their historical use in common cold support.

“Echinacea has been shown to have antiviral effects in scientific studies,” she says. “Extracts of elderberry have also seen tremendous growth due to their support against the common cold and their anti-oxidative capacity thanks to their valuable constituents.”  

ABC affirms that echinacea and elderflower, as well as its berries, are gaining popularity for their known use in the cough and cold category. 

ABC affirms that elderflower, as well as its berries, is gaining popularity for its support of the immune system.Furthermore, eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus), immunomodulating medicinal fungi and various other adaptogenic herbs have been shown to increase immune function, explains Mark Blumenthal, founder and executive director of ABC.

Mariana Ortega, marketing associate at Pharmactive Biotech Products, notes that the company’s olive leaf extracts, Isenolic and Olivactive, are traditional Mediterranean solutions for immune support.

Blumenthal stresses that, while ingredients such as andrographis and those with high vitamin C are known to support the immune system, there is not yet any research to prove that botanicals have a direct effect on the prevention or treatment of COVID-19. 

Beyond immune health
Other important areas related to the effects of social distancing and staying more often indoors include changes in mood, sleep disturbances, as well as a strain on eye health from increased screen time. 

Ortega details that saffron extract can deal with several of these rising issues. “Our saffron extract for mood, anxiety and stress, Affron, is endorsed by six human clinical studies, being the first saffron extract clinically studied in adolescents,” she says. 

Furthermore, Pharmactive Biotech Products offers AffronEye, a saffron extract for eye health. 

In the area of cognitive effect, Lubrizol Life Science has revealed the new botanical Astagile microcapsules, a stable and natural astaxanthin. 

Botanicals that work
Herbst observes that clinically proven effects for ingredients are on the rise. Going hand-in-hand with proven efficacy is the imperative to maintain potency and bioavailability so that consumers can reap the true benefits of the botanicals. 

“Bioavailability and potency are best determined in human clinical trials. Formulators should be able to subject botanical ingredients and finished botanical preparations to properly controlled human clinical research studies to determine optimal bioavailability and the activity of botanicals,” says Stefan Gafner, chief science officer at ABC.

Ortega chimes that studies must support dose effectiveness. “We know the importance of this, and for that reason, we continually invest in clinical studies and work on pharmacokinetics studies to ensure the bioavailability of our ingredients,” she details. 

“The liver quickly metabolizes many plant constituents, and thus the bioavailability is not high,” remarks Gafner. 

When considering formulations, the type of extract (for example water, hydroalcoholic, CO2) must be taken into consideration. Potential stability issues, such as exposure to gastric juice, should also be considered, he adds.

“Depending on the type of ingredient, special formulations using suitable excipients can help with the absorption from the gastrointestinal tract.”

Considerations for formulators 
Bioavailability can make or break ingredient formulations due to its crucial role in determining dosage effectiveness and quality, flags Ortega. “Coated galenic forms, for example, can better preserve actives in ingredients.”  

Jiménez of Lubrizol Life Science agrees that the manufacturing of new formulations or formats should be looked at closely to maintain the efficacy of the active ingredients.

Saffron extract is positioned to address mood, anxiety and stress.One example is exposure to high temperatures to make gummies. “To ensure that they are not affected, and their bioavailability does not decrease, you can opt for microencapsulated ingredients. This technology will ensure the desired quality of the final product,” she explains. 

Gafner highlights that other ways to administer the plant or extract, such as through a sublingual format, could be explored to increase bioavailability. 

Herbst affirms that orally administered formats are gaining traction, naming oral spray and orodispersible films as some of the more prominent examples. 

Preventing adulteration
While most companies have strategies in place to mitigate supply shortages, the pandemic led to unprecedented disruptions in the supply chain. 

The disturbance was particularly felt early on, when many of the Asian manufacturers were shut down for a period of time and delays in processing at the ports of entry added to the problem,  explains ABC’s Blumenthal.

In April, ABC published a member advisory that warned of probable increases in levels of adulteration and fraud in the global botanical marketplace. 

The call was based on years of experience in which there were observations of economically motivated adulteration of botanical products during periods of shortened or delayed supply when consumer demand increased. 

The ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program (BAPP) has documented several dozen confirmed cases of adulteration of herbs in the global supply network in the past decade, with additional examples of adulteration being confirmed as demand continues during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keeping the shelves stocked
Staying ahead of supply chain disruptions is key, either by increasing stock or the number of suppliers to mitigate risk.

“A good strategy is to qualify alternate suppliers ahead of time, which helps if only one supplier can’t deliver. It also helps to ensure that appropriate inventory volumes of material are stocked in the warehouse,” recommends Blumenthal. 

Ingredients known for their use to treat common cold symptoms, such as echinacea and vitamin C, are increasingly popular amid the COVID-19 landscape.Anklam Extrakt tackled the supply challenge by taking extensive measures to have a substantial stock of all important raw materials. 

Its production facility allows only a very limited number of visitors and high hygienic standards have been put in place. Additional working shifts build up stock to guarantee a smooth delivery process, explains Herbst.   

Ortega adds that while the situation has been challenging, Pharmactive Biotech Products has found solutions to ensuring supply and seeking local suppliers. 

“There’s no doubt that the pandemic has tested our ingenuity, resilience and flexibility to maintain our essential operations. Our main measures are having safety stocks of all our ingredients. We also source locally, which makes it possible to more easily assure the availability of our main ingredients, like saffron, olive leaves and garlic.”

What’s next for botanicals
As the trend for naturality and well-being moves forward, suppliers pinpoint ingredient quality as the next area of focus for botanicals.  

“Consumers increasingly want to know more about the supplements and foods they eat. Because of this, more research will be done to demonstrate the benefits that some products claim to have,” says Jiménez. 

Ortega affirms that supplement transparency, from harvest to the final product, will be a continuing theme in botanicals, as well as increased importance of scientific evidence. 

By Missy Green