Plant extract refers to the use of appropriate solvent or method from plant (plant part or as a whole) as raw material extraction or processing of substances that can be used to improve health or other purposes.

The plant extract industry is developed in the last 10 years, is the chief in the pharmaceutical, fine chemicals, agricultural sector between the edge of the industry. Its definition is stated as follows:

The plant extract is based on plants as pharmaceutical raw materials in accordance with the need for the use of the extract of the final product, after the physical and chemical extraction and separation process, directed to obtain and concentration plants in one or a variety of active ingredients, without changing its active ingredient structure and the formation of the product. At present, the plant extracts in the product concept is quite broad. Accordance with the extracted plant ingredients are different, the formation of glycosides, acid, polyphenols, polysaccharides, terpenes, flavonoids, alkaloids and other vegetable oils, extracts, powder, lens, etc.; in accordance with the different characters of the final product can be divided into.

Chinese plant extracts are in general intermediate products, currently uses a very wide range, mainly for drugs, health food , tobacco, cosmetics, raw materials or accessories, etc. . Types of plants for the extraction of raw materials is also very much into the industrial extraction plant varieties in more than 300 kinds.

Well known in the history of human civilization, most of the time about 200 years ago, mankind has been dependent on traditional medicines (including botanicals) struggle with the disease for more than 90%. Major ancient civilization and a certain degree of civilization of the nation almost has its own national medical care system, especially China's most comprehensive Chinese medicine system, the biggest achievement. It can be said that the Chinese medicine system in China is the highest expression of the ancient medical science.

The progress of science and technology, creating a chemical drugs and new biological drugs. After World War II, the entire pharmacy, technology, production technology to professional management techniques have gained considerable progress. At the same time, have long-term relative stagnation of herbal with advances in technology and management to obtain a new development. So far, the herbal preparation has been three stages of development. The first stage, the traditional red, pill, cream, scattered. The second stage, based on the method of water alcohol or alcohol-water extraction method based crude processing technology and modern industrial preparation technology is a combination made ​​of proprietary Chinese medicines. The third stage is the application of modern botanicals for modern separation and detection techniques refined and quantitative. Botanicals in three stages, but they have produced in chronological order, does not mean that a later stage will replace or cancel the previous stage. As the chemical drugs can not be canceled natural medicines, biological medicines, chemical drugs can not be canceled. But after the level more than the previous levels reflected or the use of modern technology.

Plant extracts and botanicals in the connotation of the concept of cross-cutting each other with each other part. Modern herbal medicine is the plant extract is the main raw material and components of the modern herbal extract -based, to a large extent; and some items of plant extracts were directly as a medicinal. In worldwide, there is no uniform definition of plant medicine. But the plant extract suppliers are accustomed to herbal medicine known as a natural medicine. Natural medicine refers to everything from nature, for the treatment of diseases without chemical treatment drugs, traditional Chinese medicine, herbal medicine should bear its areas.

Modern herbal medicine refers to Germany in the treatment of selected plant extracts, both the extract of the plant as a whole, can also be part of the extract, usually a composite of chemical substances. Germany from 1976 to herbal medicines. This definition has been using the American Botanical Council.

EC -defined herbal products are not just a single medicinal plant may be a variety of herbal compatibility ( HERBAL MEDICAL PRODUCTS), containing the active ingredient of specific plants or plant extracts, herbal plants have been used in medical the purpose of medical supplies. Herbal medicine and its products is considered to be an active ingredient or ingredients of the therapeutic effect is not very clear of pharmaceutical products. Herbal preparations will crumble into a powder plant extract, coloring, oil or liquid of pressure rolling plant juice processing plant production, purification or concentration of single compounds or mixtures isolated from plants, which when no longer seen as a herbal medicine is seen as chemical drugs such as atropine.

Source: http://www.cospcn.com