Bhringraj Extract (Eclipta alba)
Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. · wedelolactone NLT 0.5-2.5% by HPLC
Eclipta prostrata (syn. Eclipta alba) extract in 4:1 to 25:1 ratio grades and wedelolactone-standardised grades, with HPTLC identity against Wedelia substitution.
Specifications
| Botanical source | Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. (Asteraceae), accepted name; synonym Eclipta alba (L.) Hassk., under which it is still traded. Bhringraj, Bhringaraja; English false daisy. |
| Plant part | Whole plant (panchanga) as standard; aerial-part-only selection available. The part actually used is stated on every batch CoA, not assumed from the trade name. |
| Extract type and solvent | Native ratio extract at 4:1, 10:1 or 25:1 herb-to-extract, dry basis. Aqueous or hydro-alcoholic; residual solvents to USP <467> / Ph. Eur. 2.4.24. |
| Standardisation | Wedelolactone NLT 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.0% or 2.5% by HPLC. Enriched grades above 2.5% require fractionation and are made to order against a written method. |
| Marker compound | Wedelolactone, CAS 524-12-9, C16H10O7, MW 314.25, a coumestan. Demethylwedelolactone and the ecliptasaponins are tracked in the fingerprint. |
| Marker specificity caution | Wedelolactone also occurs in Sphagneticola (Wedelia) calendulacea, a known market substitute, so assay alone cannot confirm identity - HPTLC fingerprint is mandatory. |
| Natural abundance context | Published survey of wild Eclipta accessions reports 0.09-0.53% wedelolactone on a dry-weight basis, which sets what a plain ratio extract can realistically assay. |
| Appearance and odour | Greenish-brown to dark brown fine powder with a characteristic herbaceous odour. Colour deepens with extraction ratio and is not a purity indicator. |
| Particle size | NLT 95% passing 80 mesh (about 180 micron). Coarser 40 and 60 mesh cuts on request for granulation; oil-dispersible grade is supplied as a fluid. |
| Solubility | Aqueous grade disperses in water; hydro-alcoholic grade is partly water-soluble and freely soluble in aqueous ethanol. Oil-dispersible grade carries in vegetable oils. |
| Typical purity limits | Loss on drying NMT 5.0%; total ash NMT 5.0% carrier-free basis; heavy metals NMT 10 ppm total, to USP <2232>; pesticides to USP <561> or EU MRLs as specified. |
| Microbiology | TPC NMT 10,000 cfu/g; yeast and mould NMT 500 cfu/g; E. coli, Salmonella and S. aureus absent. Steam-sterilised low-count grade available. |
| Allergen and diet status | Vegan and vegetarian, plant-derived, non-GMO. Free from milk, egg, soy, fish, crustacean, peanut, tree nut and gluten-containing cereals. Not bovine or porcine. |
| Shelf life, storage | 24 months unopened for powder grades, below 25 C at under 60% RH, protected from light. |
| HS code | 13021919 for the powder |
Bhringraj extract is produced from Eclipta prostrata (L.) L., the accepted botanical name for the plant still widely traded as Eclipta alba (L.) Hassk., an Asteraceae herb known in English as false daisy. Thovek supplies whole-plant and aerial-part extracts as native ratio grades at 4:1, 10:1 and 25:1, and as wedelolactone-standardised grades at NLT 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.0% and 2.5% by HPLC, with enriched material above that made to order. An oil-dispersible grade is produced separately for hair-oil and leave-on cosmetic bases, where a water-soluble spray-dried powder will not carry.
Two things about the wedelolactone figure are worth knowing before any Bhringraj purchase. First, published analysis of wild Eclipta accessions puts wedelolactone at roughly 0.09% to 0.53% of the dry herb, so a genuinely high percentage in a finished extract has to come from deliberate enrichment or fractionation and cannot come from a plain 10:1 concentration; a double-digit wedelolactone claim on a nominal ratio extract deserves a method and a chromatogram before you buy. Second, wedelolactone is not species-specific - it also occurs in Sphagneticola (Wedelia) calendulacea, a plant that substitutes for Bhringraj in the Indian market - so a passing assay does not on its own prove identity. Every lot is therefore released on macroscopy, microscopy and an HPTLC fingerprint against authenticated E. prostrata in addition to the assay, with demethylwedelolactone and the ecliptasaponins visible in the fingerprint.
The material is plant-derived, vegan and vegetarian, non-GMO, and free from milk, egg, soy, fish, crustacean, peanut, tree nut and gluten-containing cereals; where a spray-drying carrier is used it is maize- or tapioca-derived maltodextrin or gum acacia, both gluten-free and declared on the specification. Powder grades ship in 25 kg fibre drums with double food-grade liners, with 1 kg and 5 kg foil pouches for pilot work, while oil-dispersible grades ship in HDPE jerricans. Documentation includes a CoA carrying the HPLC assay and the fingerprint, MSDS, allergen and GMO statements, and ABS paperwork under India's Biological Diversity Act on request. Cosmetic buyers should request the INCI-aligned specification sheet, which differs from the food-supplement version.
Applications
Two-piece capsule blendsHerbal tablet granulationAyurvedic proprietary formulationsTraditional churna blendsHair oil basesShampoo and conditioner basesScalp serums and lotionsColour-care cosmetic blends
Available grades
Native ratio grades at 4:1, 10:1 and 25:1. Wedelolactone-standardised at NLT 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.0% and 2.5% by HPLC, with enriched grades above 2.5% to order. Whole-plant or aerial-part selection. Oil-dispersible grade for hair-oil and leave-on bases. Water-soluble spray-dried grade, steam-sterilised low-microbial grade, and certified organic (NOP/EU) on contract.
Packaging: Powder grades in 25 kg fibre drums with double food-grade LDPE liners, palletised and shrink-wrapped; 1 kg and 5 kg aluminium-foil laminate pouches for samples and pilot lots, nitrogen flushing on request. Oil-dispersible grade in 5 kg, 20 kg and 25 kg HDPE jerricans. Store below 25 C at under 60% RH, away from direct light; the powder darkens on prolonged light exposure.
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