Why pay attention to Fermented Botanical Ingredients?
Fermentation is one of humanity's oldest nutritional technologies: from German sauerkraut and Korean kimchi to Japanese miso and natto, microbes have long been used to enhance the nutritional value and absorption efficiency of food. When "microbial fermentation" is combined with "botanical nutrition" highly efficient and stable Fermented Botanical Ingredients are born. They:
- Break down natural materials into small-molecule forms, making them easier for the body to utilize.
- Generate fermentation metabolites / fermentation derivatives (such as organic acids, short-chain fatty acids, small-molecule peptides) to expand functional dimensions.
- Reduce the bitter and astringent taste of raw materials, making products smoother and formulas easier to develop.
What are Fermented Botanical Ingredients?
Fermented Botanical Ingredients use fermented botanicals or fruits/vegetables (such as Ginseng, Rhodiola, Astragalus, Ginger, Apple, Tomato, etc.) as a base. Specific microbes like Lactobacillus, Yeast, Acetobacter, or Aspergillus are selected. Through proprietary Biotransforming-tech™, plant cell walls and macromolecules are decomposed, releasing or transforming active ingredients, accompanied by the production of organic acids, short-chain fatty acids, and other fermentation metabolites/derivatives. The result typically features better absorption utilization, solubility, and flavor stability.
Four Major Nutritional Advantages Brought by Fermentation
The core value of
fermentation lies in pre-digestion and biotransformation. It breaks down
difficult-to-absorb macromolecules into smaller units, accompanied by
metabolites like organic acids/fermentation derivatives; simultaneously, it
optimizes flavor and compatibility. The table below summarizes the five
dimensions most commonly used in R&D (mechanism information only, not
specific product efficacy claims).
| Advantage | Description |
|
Enhanced
Bioavailability
|
Bond breaking and
small-molecule conversion (e.g., Glycosides → Aglycones, Polysaccharides →
Oligosaccharides/Oligopeptides).
|
|
Improved
Flavor
|
Reduces bitterness,
spiciness, and astringency; beneficial for beverages and instant powders.
|
|
Safety
/ Purity Management
|
Opportunity to reduce
certain anti-nutritional factors; heavy metals, etc., still require source and testing control. |
|
New
Metabolites
|
Produces short-chain
fatty acids, organic acids, fermentation metabolites/derivatives, and
exopolysaccharides.
|
Direct Significance for Commercialization: More streamlined dosage, friendlier sensory experience, and higher freedom in dosage forms. Through fermentation equipment and processes with patent and international quality verification systems, safe and reliable fermented botanical ingredients are provided.
Active Ingredients × Functional Positioning
Different Ingredient Categories × Marker Compounds correspond to different R&D positioning. The following is presented in functional descriptions (focusing on principles and formula positioning); actual external claims must be adjusted according to local regulations and test data.
Product Development Suggestion: Converge via three steps: "Quantification of Marker Ingredients → Dosage Form Compatibility → Sensory Threshold". Use compliant vocabulary for external content (e.g., "Supports daily circulation," "Relaxation feeling," "Antioxidant protection"), avoiding "treatment/curing diseases" or organ-specific therapeutic language.
Antioxidant
Support
Daily antioxidant
protection, maintaining cellular health perception.
Marker
Compounds:Polyphenols, Tyrosol
Metabolic Balance
Supporting daily
metabolism and comfort.
Marker Compounds: 6-paradol, Curcumin
Relaxion
Daily support for
pre-sleep relaxation and mood management.
Marker Compounds
:GABA,
Rhodiola-related
compounds
Gut Friendly
Maintaining flora
balance, promoting daily digestive smoothness.
Marker Compounds
:Short-chain fatty
acids, Organic acids, Fermentation metabolites/derivatives
Circulation Support
Nutritional
supplementation supporting daily circulatory function.
Marker Compounds
: Polyphenols,
Aged
Garlic-related compounds
Beauty Protection
Antioxidant guarding,
supporting an impression of radiance and elasticity.
Marker Compounds
:SOD-like,
Berry Polyphenols
Three Key Values Brought by Fermentation
1) Better "Bioavailability"
Fermentation can release bound polyphenols and other actives originally trapped by structures, increasing the ratio of free forms; this supports the R&D direction of "small molecules → easier utilization."
2) Flavor and Formulation Friendly
Fermentation can reduce the inherent bitterness and irritation of fermented botanicals, improving solubility and stability, making dosage forms like powders, sachets, drinks, and jellies easier to develop.
3)Ingredient Purification and Formula Cleanliness (Anti-Nutritional Factor Management)
Fermentation helps reduce ingredients that interfere with
absorption, such as phytic acid and tannins, enhancing formula cleanliness and
stability performance. Pollutants like heavy metals and pesticide residues
require strict control during raw material procurement.
New Bellus Fermented Botanical
Fermented botanical generally refers to medicinal plants with a long history. However, the quality of traditional raw materials is easily affected by the cultivation environment, leading to large batch differences. New Bellus treats fermented botanical materials with a standardized process using microbial fermentation science: adhering to food regulations, strictly screening functional strains, and using proprietary Biotransforming-tech™ to advance active release, reduce sensory irritation, and strengthen specification consistency.
Research and industry practice indicate that microbial fermentation can enhance or transform marker ingredients in medicinal plants (e.g., Tyrosol in Rhodiola, 6-paradol in Ginger)—using a natural and controllable microbial transformation method, which aligns better with food hygiene safety and consumer peace of mind compared to chemical synthesis (supported by test data and scientific verification methods).
Small Things Creating Big Value
As a leader in microbial fermentation technology, New Bellus provides comprehensive Fermented Ingredient OEM solutions: from consumer insight, sourcing of legal and compliant raw materials, exclusive strain screening, to pilot scale-up and mass production. Every step is based on professional methodology and quality data to assist you in developing exclusive fermented ingredients that have commercial value and are scalable.
FAQ
Q1｜What is the difference between fermented botanical ingredients and "eating whole foods directly"?
The common value of
fermentation lies in pre-digestion and biotransformation: breaking down some
macromolecules into smaller units, releasing bound actives, and accompanying
the generation of organic acids and fermentation metabolites/derivatives; it is
also friendlier to formula solubility/flavor/stability.
Q2｜What is fermentation? Why ferment?
Fermentation is a
natural process where microorganisms break down or transform organic matter. In
nutritional applications, fermentation helps release nutrients in plants,
turning macromolecular substances into small molecules that are easier for the
human body to absorb.
Q3｜What is the difference between fermented botanical and general botanical medicine?
The active
ingredients of general botanical medicines are often encased in plant cell
walls, limiting absorption rates. After fermentation, these ingredients are
decomposed and activated by microbes, improving absorption efficiency while
making the taste milder and less irritating.
Q4｜What are fermented botanical ingredients?
Fermented botanical
ingredients are materials derived from fermented botanicals or plants (such as
Ginseng, Turmeric, Rhodiola, Apple, Tomato, etc.) fermented via specific
microbes. This transforms active ingredients into easier-to-absorb
small-molecule compounds, such as polyphenols, short-chain fatty acids, and
fermentation metabolites/derivatives, helping to enhance human absorption rates
and physiological activity.
Q5｜Is fermentation the same as "enzymes"?
They are related but
different. Enzymes are biocatalysts produced by microbes or plants during the
fermentation process, while "fermentation" is the entire
transformation process. In other words, fermentation "manufactures"
enzymes and other beneficial metabolites.
Q6｜Which groups are suitable for supplementing fermented materials?
People with long-term stress, unbalanced diets, weak digestive function, or those needing physical support or beauty care can benefit from fermented botanicals and fermented fruit/vegetable powders. It is suitable for daily nutritional supplementation and for developing functional food formulas.
Compliance Note: This text provides principle and R&D information and is not a specific product efficacy claim. Actual labeling/advertising should be adjusted according to regulations and test data of each market; general foods must not claim medical efficacy or involve content regarding the treatment of diseases or organs.