Learn · Pramāṇa

The Science of Standardization

What an extract specification is, what it can tell you about a product, and what it cannot.

The Science of Standardization

From a botanical name to a measurable specification.

A plant’s name tells you what it is. It does not tell you how much of any particular constituent ends up in a capsule. Here is how the three common forms differ — and what each one can and cannot tell you.

  1. 01 · Whole herb or powder

    The botanical itself

    Can tell you

    Which plant was used, if it has been authenticated — and the plant part, when stated.

    Cannot tell you

    How much of any constituent is present. That varies with source, season, plant part, processing and storage.

  2. 02 · Concentrated extract

    Drawn out and concentrated

    Can tell you

    That a solvent and process were used to extract and concentrate the plant. An extract ratio such as 10:1 describes starting herb to finished extract.

    Cannot tell you

    Which constituents were concentrated, or by how much. A ratio alone does not describe composition.

  3. 03 · Standardized extract

    Measured to a specification

    Can tell you

    That a named marker or constituent group is controlled to a stated level, measured by a defined assay, batch after batch.

    Cannot tell you

    Whether a product is effective, well absorbed or safe for you. A standardized extract is not automatically better than a whole herb.

WHAT SHAPES AN EXTRACT

  • Raw material & authentication
  • Plant part
  • Solvent
  • Extraction method
  • Extract ratio
  • Assay method
  • Specification & limits
  • Amount per serving

Standardization helps define and control what is in an extract from one batch to the next. A percentage on its own does not establish effectiveness, absorption, safety or superiority.

For informed buyers: what a specification should state

The assay method. Different methods — for example HPLC, titration or UV spectrophotometry — can give different results for the same material, so a specification should name the method used.

The calculation basis. A percentage may be expressed on a dry-weight basis, as a particular salt form, or against a particular reference standard. Each choice changes the number.

The batch evidence. A certificate of analysis for the specific batch, from a qualified laboratory, is what connects a figure on a label to the material actually used.

Understanding the label

What is a marker compound?

An analytical marker is a chemical constituent chosen to help confirm identity, assess quality or standardize an extract. It is not necessarily the compound responsible for any effect.

  1. 01

    Botanical identity

    The species is confirmed — for example by microscopy, chromatographic fingerprint or DNA methods.

  2. 02

    Plant part

    Root, bark, fruit, seed or leaf: each has a different chemical profile.

  3. 03

    Extract

    Solvent and process decide what is drawn out and concentrated.

  4. 04

    Marker assay

    A stated, validated method measures the chosen constituent.

  5. 05

    Specification

    An acceptable range for that marker is set and declared.

  6. 06

    Batch quality check

    Each batch is tested against the specification and documented.

Measures the material

Analytical marker

A constituent used to help identify a botanical or assess the consistency and composition of an extract.

Linked to activity

Active constituent

A compound believed or shown to contribute to biological activity — a role that has to be established by evidence, not assumed.

Measured in people

Clinical biomarker

A measurable biological characteristic in a person, associated with a physiological state or response. It is not a property of the product.

A SIMPLIFIED EXAMPLE

An extract specified as containing “X%” of a marker only means something once the assay method, the reference standard and the calculation basis are stated — and a certificate of analysis for that batch confirms the result. A marketing statement alone is not proof of the measured amount.

PendingWe will explain exactly what the 85% and 70% figures on Madhu Mora’s label refer to once the ingredient, assay definition, calculation basis and certificates of analysis have been verified.

Botanical profiles

Know the Botanical. Understand the Extract.

What each ingredient is, which part of the plant is used, what it is reported to contain, and where the evidence ends.

प्रमाण

PRAMĀṆA · MEANS OF VALID KNOWLEDGE

The Charaka Saṃhitā names four ways of examining what is true. We borrow its vocabulary to keep levels of evidence separate, and never present one as another.

  1. आप्तोपदेशĀptopadeśaAuthoritative testimonyClassical texts and traditional use. Historical context, not proof of a modern product’s effect.
  2. अनुमानAnumānaInferenceLaboratory and animal research. It suggests mechanisms; it does not show the same effect in people.
  3. प्रत्यक्षPratyakṣaDirect observationHuman studies, from observational research to controlled trials.
  4. युक्तिYuktiReasoned synthesisSystematic reviews that weigh all the available studies together.

Used in Madhu Mora

Berberis aristataदारुहरिद्रा

Indian barberry · Tree turmeric

Plant part
Root and stem are the parts most often used. The part used in Madhu Mora’s extract is awaiting supplier confirmation.
Āptopadeśa · tradition
Known in Ayurveda as Dāruharidrā and described in classical texts. Traditional use is historical context, not evidence of what a modern product does.
Reported constituents
Isoquinoline alkaloids, most prominently berberine; palmatine and jatrorrhizine are also reported.
Specification
Label artwork states an extract standardized to 85% berberine. Assay method, calculation basis and certificate of analysis are pending verification.
Evidence & limits
Much published research concerns berberine as an isolated compound, or other Berberis species. Those findings cannot be assumed to apply to this finished product.
Safety
Berberine-containing products can interact with some medicines. Anyone taking medication, pregnant or breastfeeding should seek professional advice first.

REFERENCE Berberis aristata review — Pharmacological Research: Modern Chinese Medicine (2022)

PendingIngredient profiles for Stree Mora and Performance & Recovery will be added once their final formulas are confirmed.