Grape Seed Extract
- Raw Material Sourcing: Grape seeds are collected as a by-product from wineries or grape juice production units. The seeds are selected from high-quality, pesticide-free grapes, typically Vitis vinifera.
- Cleaning & Preparation: The collected grape seeds are thoroughly cleaned to remove any pulp, skin, or unwanted residues. After washing, they are shade-dried or passed through low-temperature dryers to preserve active compounds like oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs).
- Grinding: Once dried, the seeds are ground into a coarse powder to increase surface area, making it easier for the solvent to extract the desired phytochemicals.
- Extraction Process: The ground grape seed material is loaded into the extractor. A food-grade solvent such as ethanol or a hydro-alcoholic mixture is circulated under controlled conditions. This extracts OPCs, flavonoids, and antioxidants.
- Filtration: The extract is passed through filtration units to remove seed particles and insoluble matter. Filtration helps in producing a clear and concentrated extract solution.
- Concentration: The filtered extract is subjected to vacuum evaporation to remove excess solvent and concentrate the active ingredients. This yields a dense, semi-liquid or paste-like extract.
- Drying (if required): If a powdered extract is needed, the concentrate is dried using a spray dryer or vacuum tray dryer to form a free-flowing powder with standardized OPC content.
- Standardization: The final extract is standardized to contain a specific percentage of OPCs (typically 95% by UV or HPLC). This ensures consistency in therapeutic quality.
- Packaging & Storage: The extract is stored in airtight, food-grade containers, away from moisture, heat, and light. It is then packaged as per industry norms for bulk supply or retail use.
- By-Product Utilization: Residual seed material is sometimes repurposed as animal feed or composted for agricultural use.
- Quality Control: Every batch undergoes stringent QC checks for active marker compounds, microbial load, moisture content, and heavy metals.
- Regulatory Compliance: The plant operations comply with GMP, FSSAI, ISO, and global standards like EU or US FDA, depending on the market requirement.
