In past leaves I have talked about a number of different plants and their useful molecules but have hardly addressed the subject of how to get the plants to give up their bounty.
From the start of this series I have stress that plants do not run their metabolic machinery for the benefit of humans. Using photosynthesis to produce a huge range of organic molecules de novo, plants find themselves at the bottom of the food chain and, by default, they protect what they have made from other organisms. There are examples where plants make their bounty easily available as nectar or fruits in order to attracting insects and animals that will spread pollen and seed. However, for the most part they use storage compartments to keep stuff in (vacuoles), make tough cell walls, layers of “armour” in the form of bark and cuticle, and produce various phytochemicals to deter and poison attackers. Plants even dry-down their energy-loadedseeds, making them near indigestible to all but a few specialist grazers; surviving seeds can then sprout and propagate the species.
Harvested plants must either be used freshor treated in a way that preserves the sought-after components. Medicinal plants, are usually supplied as dried leaves, flowers, roots, bark, or fruits. Their collection and post-harvest treatment uses methods found by experience to preserve the sought-after medicinal properties.
Recovery of phytochemicals from dried plant material might involve homogenising in liquid, grinding and/or the age-old technique of decoction. Decoction, exemplified by the brewing of tea from dry leaves, uses boiling water to dissolve residual cell membranes and permeate the plant tissue to dissolve the phytochemicals. It is. a uniquely human technology that only became possible when humankind learned to control fire. Decoction is one of the main extraction methods used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), notsurprising coming from the world’s primary tea-drinking nation,.
Green Mountain Biotech manufactures botanical extracts by decoction, with extra proprietary steps to remove undesirable plant components and contaminants. Blended as @Botaniplex™ combinations, they are supplied as bioactive ingredients for skincare products designed to address dermatological conditions such as acne, eczema, psoriasis and certain viral infections.
