Saffron Stigma Extract Capsules

Saffron is the dried stigma of Crocus sativus L. (Iridaceae), the most labour-intensive spice in world trade and the raw material behind this capsule. Four compound groups carry its identity and its commercial value: the water-soluble carotenoid glycosides known as crocins (crocin, CAS 42553-65-1, C44H64O24, MW 977.0), their aglycone crocetin (CAS 27876-94-4, C20H24O4, MW 328.4), the bitter glycoside picrocrocin (CAS 138-55-6, C16H26O7, MW 330.37) which can reach roughly 4% of dry saffron, and the volatile aldehyde safranal (CAS 116-26-7, C10H14O, MW 150.22), the dominant note of the aroma fraction. Thovek starts from stigma meeting ISO 3632-1/-2 Category I and converts it to a dry extract on a maltodextrin or acacia carrier, then fills to the customer's capsule weight. Saffron is one of the most adulterated articles in the botanical trade, so identity work is the centre of this specification rather than an afterthought. Crocins are not unique to Crocus sativus — they also occur in the fruit of Gardenia jasminoides, which is why a crocin figure alone proves nothing about botanical origin. Every lot is fingerprinted by HPLC-DAD against Crocus sativus reference material and screened for gardenia crocins, safflower, marigold and Curcuma colourants, alongside the ISO 3632 spectrophotometric readings on the incoming stigma: colouring strength A1%1cm at 440 nm, flavour strength at 257 nm and aroma strength at 330 nm. Petal, stamen and corm material are excluded by macroscopic inspection at intake. The article ships as a finished dosage form. Human studies published on standardised saffron extracts have commonly used 30 mg per day, and one such extract was characterised at safranal above 0.2% by HPLC; brands frequently take those figures as the reference point when sizing a capsule, and Thovek states them as dosing precedent only, without any claim as to outcome. Shells are HPMC as standard, which keeps the finished pack vegan; bovine gelatin is available on request and must then be declared on the label. The fill contains no milk, egg, soy, fish, crustacean, gluten, peanut or tree nut material. Each lot ships with a certificate of analysis covering marker assay, identity chromatogram, heavy metals by ICP-MS and microbiology, plus retained samples.