Company insight
Half a century of botanical innovation
For a business to stand the test of time it must marry together innovation, expertise and the long-standing support of partners and manufacturers. To celebrate half a century as leading producers of standardised herbal extracts, Euromed revisits some of its greatest triumphs in botanical innovation.
uromed’s roots trace back more than 100 years, since the early founding of Dr. Madaus & Company in 1919. The vision was to develop pharmaceutical products based on traditional natural sciences, using modern research methods. In 2019, Euromed was acquired by Dermapharm, one of the leading German pharmaceutical companies. Today, the company is a vertically integrated global supplier of premium “pharmacopeial-grade” botanicals that are traceable and sustainable.
E
Pioneering production of milk thistle extract
The iconic botanical company has made landmark contributions to the evolution of modern herbal remedies since its inception. In 1971, Euromed manufactured the world’s first standardised milk thistle (Silybum marianum) extract, for Madaus’s production of the hepatoprotective medicine Legalon – a pharmaceutical product substantiated by dozens of clinical studies. Its antiviral properties have been evaluated by US researchers at the National Institute of Health (NIH), concluding it effectively inhibits HIV early in the virus infection cycle likely blocking virus entry. In fact, silibinin, the main constituent of silymarin, may have properties beyond liver health. A clinical trial (SiLCOVID 19) is evaluating it as a possible treatment for Covid-19. Professor Bosch, the Spanish oncologist leading the trial, published several studies showing the antitumour potential of silibinin in cancer patients. All production steps are controlled, allowing Euromed to provide several quality milk thistle extracts for nutraceutical formulas as well. As for other cultivated plants such as hypericum and valerian, Euromed uses an elite seed cultivar for
66
cultivation and harvest for its extracts. Initially wild seeds are collected for breeding and planting and then grown under contract following Good Agricultural Practices. This provides a reproducible extract quality and sustainable production.
Saw palmetto berries Euromed is a global leading producer of saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) extracts. Serenoa fruit extract is approved in Europe as a pharmaceutical indicated in men with mild-to-moderate benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and is used as a dietary supplement ingredient in the US and other countries. Prosterol proprietary saw palmetto supercritical extract is the culmination of 30 years of research at Euromed into the naturally occurring lipidic phytochemicals and has been investigated in several clinical studies. A 12-week randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled trial published in 2020, showed a significant decrease in subjective symptoms related to urination compared with a placebo, indicating improvement in the main symptoms of BPH. Euromed built a processing facility in Florida, US the principle habitat where the berries of saw palmetto are hand-picked. The rapid processing and drying of the berries within the natural habitat ensures optimal fatty acid content and provides complete traceability of the raw material, avoiding risk of adulteration. Since 2017, Euromed’s waste production is upcycled to develop more ecological dyes for the textile industry. – all of which is fully traceable from nature to fashion through smart tags.
Quality and innovation for the future Various extraction technologies concentrate the target molecules while preserving
natural phytochemical profiles; the proprietary Pure-Hydro Process technology, for example, uses ultra-purified water as the only solvent – ensuring a clean extraction by avoiding solvent residues. A line of Spanish fruit and vegetable extracts, inspired by the Mediterranean diet and obtained with Pure-Hydro Process technology was introduced in 2018 after the acquisition of a modern extraction facility in Murcia. Pomanox, Mediteanox, Abalife and Cynamed are evidence-based standardised concentrates from pomegranates, olives, figs and artichokes – from regenerative agriculture and sustainable cultivars, close to the manufacturing plant. Responding to the growing market demand for organic dietary supplements, Euromed introduced Earth Harmony organic extracts in 2020, manufactured under the highest standard of the EU organic certification. The company’s PhytoProof process of quality control includes a minimum of 20 laboratory tests in every batch for identity, potency and potential impurities to guarantee the highest standards for each extract. The innovation and development team is celebrating its 50th anniversary by introducing new PhytoProof extracts, such as turmeric, barberry and rhodiola rosea root dry extracts. Wellemon, a clinically tested, eriocitrin-rich, lemon fruit extract with high bioavailability, will be presented later this year together with other distinctive botanical ingredients. These product developments – validated by efficacy studies – firmly position Euromed at the forefront of industrial botanical product innovation, continuing to set examples that other companies are forced to try and emulate. ●
www.euromed.es Ingredients Insight /
www.ingredients-insight.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96
