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 %