Berberine HCl

Berberine hydrochloride is the isolated hydrochloride salt of berberine, a quaternary protoberberine isoquinoline alkaloid. It is a discrete chemical, not a botanical extract, and Thovek treats it as such throughout: a bright yellow crystalline powder assayed at not less than 97.0 percent by HPLC with UV detection near 345 nm, supported by identity by IR and by comparison with a characterised reference standard. CAS numbering needs care on paperwork because three numbers are in circulation for closely related forms — 633-65-8 for the anhydrous chloride salt, 5956-60-5 for the dihydrate that most commercial material actually is, and 2086-83-1 for the berberine cation or free base. The molecular formula is C20H18ClNO4, also written C20H17NO4.HCl, with a molecular weight of 371.81 for the anhydrous salt and roughly 407.8 for the dihydrate. Because the two differ by about nine percent in mass, assay basis and loss on drying must be read together or a buyer will over- or under-dose a formula by that margin. Origin is the commercial fault line in this ingredient and we state it explicitly on every certificate. Berberine HCl reaches the market by two entirely different routes: extraction and purification from berberine-bearing plants such as Berberis aristata, Coptis chinensis and Phellodendron species, or multi-step chemical synthesis typically starting from veratraldehyde. Synthesis is cheaper and higher-yielding, which is why the surge in berberine demand has drawn a great deal of synthetic material into supplement supply chains, sometimes without disclosure. The published concern with the synthetic route is the potential for nitrosamine formation, since it combines secondary amines, nitrite sources and strong acid conditions, whereas aqueous and alcoholic plant extraction does not create those conditions. Stable isotope ratio analysis has been shown to discriminate naturally sourced from synthetic berberine, and buyers who label a product as plant-derived should be prepared to substantiate it. Thovek will supply either route on request, but never conflates them, and provides route-appropriate impurity and residual-solvent data with each lot. The salt is vegan and vegetarian with no animal, dairy, egg, soy, fish, crustacean, gluten or nut inputs, is non-GMO, and is an intense natural yellow colourant that will stain equipment and adjacent product if dust is not controlled. It is slightly soluble in cold water and more soluble in hot water, sparingly soluble in ethanol, and hygroscopic, so drums should be resealed promptly. Buyers selling into Europe should diligence the position themselves before committing: EFSA's NDA Panel endorsed a draft opinion in January 2026 concluding that no safe intake level could be established for berberine-containing plant preparations, with public consultation running 2 March to 4 May 2026, France's ANSES published an opinion in 2019, and Belgium applies a 10 mg per day berberine limit in food supplements. Thovek supplies composition and analytical data only and makes no health or therapeutic claim of any kind.