Light brown Saw Palmetto Extract Powder 25% & 45% Fatty Acids powder from Serenoa repens fruit

Saw Palmetto Extract 25–45% fatty acids

Saw palmetto extract is prepared from the ripe berry of Serenoa repens, the fan palm of the southeastern United States, and not from the leaves, stems or roots. Ethanol extraction takes up the lipid fraction of the fruit, and the liquor is dried to a light brown powder.

The grade range is 25–45% fatty acids by GC, and the primary grade is the 45% end. The powder is 80 mesh and insoluble in water. The 25% grade suits dry blends with a larger fill, while the 45% grade carries a higher lipid load per gram for capsules and tablets.

SKU: BOT-STX-0029 Category: Standardized Extracts Tags: Ethanol Extracted, Fruit & Berry, Saw Palmetto, Softgels & Oil Fills, Standardized Extracts, Terpenoids

Fatty Acid Standardization & Grades

The saw palmetto fruit is unusual because its main constituents are lipids. The fatty acids of the berry are mainly lauric, myristic, oleic and linoleic acids, and in the fruit they occur largely as triglycerides, with a smaller free fraction. The grade reports the total fatty acid content after the lipids are converted to their methyl esters for gas chromatography. It is the standardization target because it describes how lipid-rich a powder is, and it is the figure used across the saw palmetto trade. The botanical entity is Serenoa repens (W.Bartram) Small, and the part used is the ripe berry.

Grade	Assay & Method	Where It Fits
25% Fatty Acids	GC	Capsule blends and dry premixes
45% Fatty Acids	GC	Capsules and tablets with small fill

This powder is not the same material as the oil that is often sold as saw palmetto extract. Supercritical CO2 and hexane produce a liquid or semi-solid lipid with a far higher fatty acid content. The ethanol-derived powder in this range is a drier, more convenient form with a lower fatty acid figure, and it is easier to blend. The 45% grade carries almost twice the lipid of the 25% grade, so a capsule reaches its target in a smaller fill. The fruit is also supplied as a 10:1 ratio extract, the Saw Palmetto Extract Powder, and as a milled fruit, the Saw Palmetto Berry Powder, which are separate products with no fatty acid figure.

Fatty Acid Analysis & Purity Risks

Both grades are measured by GC. The sample is converted to fatty acid methyl esters, which separate on a capillary column by chain length and unsaturation, and the total is calculated against internal and external standards. The figure reports lipid-derived fatty acids only. A gravimetric lipid figure counts every material that dissolves in the extraction solvent, including sterols and waxes, and it cannot be converted into a GC fatty acid result.

The profile of the individual acids is the fingerprint. In saw palmetto fruit, lauric acid is the largest fraction, followed by oleic and myristic acid, with smaller amounts of palmitic and linoleic acid. The same chromatogram also shows the plant sterols, with beta-sitosterol as the main member. The ratio of the acids and the presence of sterols are more useful identity checks than the total alone.

Sample preparation matters for a lipid-rich powder. The derivatization step must be complete, and the powder must be dry, because water interferes with the reaction. Results differ between a method that counts free fatty acids only and one that counts the total after hydrolysis, so the basis belongs with the figure.

Purity risks are chemical. Coconut and palm kernel oils are also rich in lauric acid, so a high fatty acid percentage does not prove that the lipid came from saw palmetto. The fatty acid pattern plus the sterol profile and a fixed plant part are the first checks. Only the ripe fruit is used, and the berry changes from orange-red to blue-black as it ripens.

Typical Specifications

Specification Item	Product Information
Latin Name	Serenoa repens
Plant Part	Fruit & Berry
Processing	Ethanol Extraction
Compound Class	Terpenoids
Common Name	Saw Palmetto, Serenoa
Ingredient Type	Standardized Extract
Marker Compound(s)	Fatty acids (lauric, myristic, oleic and related acids of the fruit lipid)
Primary Grade	45% Fatty Acids (GC)
Available Grades	25% · 45% Fatty Acids (GC)
Appearance	Light Brown powder
Solubility / Dispersibility	Insoluble in Water
Quality Parameters
Moisture (LOD)	≤5.0%
Total Ash	≤5.0%
Particle Size	80 mesh
Heavy Metals	Lead ≤2 ppm · Arsenic ≤1 ppm · Cadmium ≤1 ppm · Mercury ≤0.1 ppm
Microbiology	TPC ≤1,000 cfu/g · Yeast & Mold ≤100 cfu/g · E. coli Negative · Salmonella Negative/25 g
Shelf Life	24 months in unopened original packaging, cool and dry storage

Applications by Grade

45% Grade for Compact Capsules

The 45% grade reaches a lipid target from a small fill, which suits hard capsules. The lipid-bearing powder is cohesive and smears on filling pins when warm, so fill in a cool room and add a glidant to keep the powder moving.

45% Grade in Tablet Blends

Tablets of the 45% grade need an absorbent filler and a dry binder, because the lipid softens compacts and sticks to punches. A saw palmetto tablet gains from a lubricant that tolerates oily solids, and a compression trial with hardness checks after warm storage shows whether the tablet holds its shape.

25% Grade in Capsule Blends

The 25% grade fills capsules at a larger weight, which makes metering easier when saw palmetto is one of several ingredients. The brown powder is less sticky than the 45% grade, and it flows through hoppers with less glidant.

25% Grade in Dry Premixes

Dry premixes use the 25% grade to spread the lipid through a carrier. Blend the powder with a portion of the carrier first, because the insoluble, oily particles tend to form lumps if they are added to a large volume of dry powder.

25% Grade in Stick Packs

Stick packs carry the 25% grade with a flow agent and a fine carrier. The powder is insoluble in water and gives a hazy suspension, so a suspension aid and a note to stir are needed, and the pack must be sealed against oxygen.

45% Grade in Softgel Fills

Softgel fills can use the 45% grade as a suspension in oil. The lipid in the powder blends with the oil, and the fill remains uniform if the powder is milled fine. Avoid a hot oil phase, which speeds oxidation of the unsaturated acids.

Technical & Quality Considerations

The extract is a light brown powder with a fatty, slightly cheesy odor and a soapy, mildly bitter taste. It is insoluble in water, so aqueous systems hold it only as a fine suspension. The lipid fraction is prone to oxidation, especially the unsaturated acids, and a stale or rancid note is the first sign of storage damage. Heat, light and air shorten the shelf life of lipid-rich powders.

For production, sieve the powder before blending, and use a glidant to improve flow, because the lipid makes the particles cohesive and the powder sticks to hoppers and filling pins. Pre-blend saw palmetto extract with a portion of the carrier so that it disperses evenly. Fill in a cool room, since warm air softens the lipid and increases smearing.

Protect the drum from heat, light and oxygen with a sealed liner, and store it in a cool place. Compare each lot with a retained sample for color, odor and the fatty acid profile, and run oxidation checks on lots held for long periods. Clean the line with a solvent wash after a run, since lipid residues build up on contact parts and carry the odor into the next product.

Packaging & Commercial Supply

Essencefield supports product evaluation, formulation trials, commercial orders, and ongoing ingredient supply. Packaging, storage, and shipping arrangements are determined by product characteristics, order quantity, stability requirements, and destination-market needs.

Supply Item	General Information
Sample	Available upon request for formulation, testing, and supplier evaluation
Order Quantities	100 g · 1 kg · 5 kg · 25 kg · 100 kg · 500 kg · Bulk
Sample Lead Time	Typically 5–7 days after sample confirmation
Production Lead Time	Typically 15–30 days after order and specification confirmation
Packaging	Suitable protective inner packaging with bags, cartons, drums, or other appropriate outer packaging
Storage	Store in tightly sealed, suitable protective packaging in a cool, dry environment. Protect from moisture, heat, and direct sunlight. Specific storage conditions follow the approved product specification.
Documentation	COA · Product Specification · TDS · SDS · Applicable declarations (as applicable)

Final order quantities, lead times, packaging, documentation, and shipping arrangements are confirmed according to the selected product and commercial requirements.