Lotus Leaf Extract 1–5% Nuciferine

Lotus leaf extract comes from the dried leaves of Nelumbo nucifera, the sacred lotus, and not from the seeds, the plumule, the rhizome or the stamens, each of which is a separate raw material with different chemistry. Ethanol extraction concentrates the aporphine alkaloids of the leaf, and the liquor is dried to a green powder.

The primary grade is 5% nuciferine by HPLC, with 1% as the lower end of the range. The powder is 80 mesh and insoluble in water. The 5% grade serves capsules and tablets with a limited fill weight, while the 1% grade suits tea-style blends and dry compounds in which the green leaf character is part of the product.

SKU: BOT-STX-0076 Category: Standardized Extracts Tags: Alkaloids, Ethanol Extracted, Leaf & Herb, Lotus, Softgels & Oil Fills, Standardized Extracts

Nuciferine Standardization & Grades

Nuciferine is the lead alkaloid of lotus leaf, an aporphine type with a four-ring skeleton that carries a nitrogen atom in one ring. It is the standardization target because it is characteristic of the leaf, stable and resolved cleanly by HPLC. The botanical entity is Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn., and the part used is the leaf. Related alkaloids in the same leaf, such as nornuciferine and roemerine, travel with it and are not counted in the grade.

Grade	Assay & Method	Where It Fits
1% Nuciferine	HPLC	Tea-style blends and dry compounds
5% Nuciferine	HPLC	Capsules and tablets with small fill

Grade choice follows dose, fill weight and how much of the leaf matrix a formula should keep. The 5% grade holds five times the nuciferine load per gram of the 1% grade, so a capsule reaches its target with a smaller fill. The 1% grade keeps more of the leaf flavonoids, chlorophyll and fiber-derived material, and gives a deeper green and a more grassy character. Siblings of the same leaf are the unstandardized Lotus Leaf Extract Powder, the milled Lotus Leaf Powder and the purified Nuciferine 98%.

The plant part is the main identity issue for any lotus extract. The plumule, or embryo of the seed, contains a different group of alkaloids, the bisbenzylisoquinolines such as neferine and liensinine, and the rhizome is a starchy vegetable. Buyers who compare lotus leaf extract quotes should confirm that the quoted marker belongs to the leaf and not to the plumule before they compare numbers.

Nuciferine Analysis & Purity Risks

Both grades are measured by HPLC, which separates nuciferine from nornuciferine, roemerine and the other aporphines, identifies each peak by retention time and UV spectrum, and quantifies nuciferine against a reference standard. A colorimetric total alkaloid test counts every basic compound that reacts and cannot name nuciferine, so it is not comparable with the HPLC figure.

The fingerprint of the leaf shows nuciferine as the dominant alkaloid peak, with nornuciferine and roemerine as smaller neighbors and a band of flavonol glycosides eluting at a different position. The alkaloids exist as salts in the plant and as free bases after extraction at high pH, which is why the solvent and the acidity used at the extraction step shape the profile as much as the leaf itself.

Sample preparation uses an acidified alcohol, so that the alkaloids dissolve as salts, followed by sonication and filtration. Chlorophyll and wax can foul the column and the filters, so sample cleanup matters more for this green leaf extract than for a pale root extract.

Purity risks follow from the botany. Lotus leaf is sometimes confused with leaves of water lilies (Nymphaea), which look similar but carry different alkaloids, and plumule material carries a different alkaloid group. A total alkaloid figure alone cannot show which part supplied it. A species statement, the leaf as the stated part and the aporphine fingerprint protect identity better than one percentage.

Typical Specifications

Specification Item	Product Information
Latin Name	Nelumbo nucifera
Plant Part	Leaf & Herb
Processing	Ethanol Extraction
Compound Class	Alkaloids
Common Name	Lotus, Lotus Leaf, Sacred Lotus Leaf
Ingredient Type	Standardized Extract
Marker Compound(s)	Nuciferine (aporphine alkaloid of Nelumbo nucifera leaf)
Primary Grade	5% Nuciferine (HPLC)
Available Grades	1% · 5% Nuciferine (HPLC)
Appearance	Green 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

5% Grade for Compact Capsules

The 5% grade delivers a nuciferine target in a small capsule fill. The green powder is fine and a little waxy, so a flow agent helps the hopper feed evenly, and capsule weights should be checked at the start of each run and after any stoppage.

5% Grade in Tablet Blends

Tablets of the high grade need a dry binder and an absorbent, because the waxy leaf powder clings to punches and softens compacts. A compression trial on the full blend shows whether hardness holds after storage, and a dry room keeps the powder free-flowing.

1% Grade for Leaf-Style Tea Blends

At 1% the extract is dosed by weight in dry tea-style blends, where it adds a green color and a mild bitter, grassy taste. Pair it with hawthorn, mint or citrus peel, and note that the insoluble powder leaves a fine sediment in the cup.

1% Grade for Dry Herbal Compounds

Dry compounds use the lower grade beside other leaf powders at a moderate inclusion. Pre-mix it with a bulking agent so the fine green powder spreads evenly, and screen the blend before filling because the electrostatic particles tend to cling to the mixer walls.

5% Grade in Oil-Based Fills

Aporphine alkaloids are more soluble in oil and organic solvents than in water, so softgel fills disperse the high grade in a carrier oil. Mill the powder fine and stir during encapsulation, since insoluble particles settle in the feed line.

Technical & Quality Considerations

The extract is a green powder with a mild grassy odor and a bitter taste. It is insoluble in water, so it does not dissolve in drink bases and settles as a fine sediment on standing. Alkaloids dissolve in dilute acid as salts, which can be used to prepare clear laboratory solutions, but a food or supplement format normally keeps the powder as a dispersed solid.

Chlorophyll gives the powder its green color and is sensitive to light, heat and acid, turning olive and then brown. Packaging should block light, and acidic bases should be added late in the process. At production scale, sieve the powder before dosing, since fine green dust sticks to equipment. Clean mixers thoroughly between lotus leaf extract and pale products, and compare each lot with a retained sample for color, odor and flow.

Storage conditions decide how long the green color lasts. Keep the drum closed, cool and away from light, open it only for weighing and use older lots first. If the color of a lot has shifted toward olive, check it against the retained sample before release, because a color change can signal exposure to heat or acid during storage.

A lotus leaf extract is best checked by color and by its alkaloid peaks. A bright green powder with a clear nuciferine peak is typical, while an olive or brown lot suggests heat, acid or long storage of the leaf. Compare each lotus leaf extract with a retained sample, and look at the neighbors of the nuciferine peak, because nornuciferine and roemerine keep a consistent proportion to it in a properly made lot.

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.