Echinacea Purpurea — Total Phenolics (Cichoric Acid) by HPLC
Echinacea Purpurea — Total Phenolics (Cichoric Acid) by HPLC
Purity Levels
Total Phenolics (Cichoric Acid) by HPLC
Mechotech designs and manufactures turnkey extraction plants for Echinacea purpurea, processing the root and/or aerial parts (flowering herb) depending on the target grade into an extract standardised to Total Phenolics, measured as Cichoric Acid, by HPLC. Echinacea's immune-modulating activity is attributed to a combination of caffeic-acid-derivative phenolics (cichoric acid being the principal marker in the aerial-parts/whole-plant grade), alkylamides, and polysaccharides, and Mechotech's line is engineered to recover and concentrate this phenolic fraction for the immune-support nutraceutical industry. We supply the complete machinery — raw material cleaning, milling, hydro-alcoholic extraction, filtration, vacuum concentration, closed-loop solvent recovery, standardisation and drying — as a single turnkey system.
Mechotech's Echinacea purpurea plant is engineered around the specific chemistry of the species' phenolic and alkylamide constituents, which are more concentrated in the aerial parts (flowers, leaves, stems) than in the root, unlike some other Echinacea species where root chemistry dominates the specification. Hydro-alcoholic extraction in closed jacketed SS 316L vessels is tuned to recover cichoric acid and related caffeic-acid derivatives while limiting thermal exposure that can degrade the labile alkylamide fraction, and the concentrate is assayed by HPLC and standardised to the declared Total Phenolics (Cichoric Acid) specification before drying. Built with integrated solvent recovery, automation, and full batch documentation, each plant is delivered as a commissioned, performance-verified turnkey system to GMP, WHO-GMP and HACCP standards.
Technical Specifications
| Product | Echinacea Purpurea Extraction Plant |
|---|---|
| Botanical Name | Echinacea purpurea |
| Raw Material | Cleaned, dried Echinacea purpurea aerial parts and/or root |
| Plant Part | Aerial parts (flowering herb) and/or root, per specification |
| Extract Type | Standardised hydro-alcoholic extract, spray- or vacuum-dried powder |
| Standardization | Total Phenolics (Cichoric Acid) by HPLC |
| Extraction Method | Hydro-alcoholic extraction (closed jacketed extractors, controlled low-temperature cycles) |
| Product-contact Material | SS 316L, electropolished, CIP-cleanable |
| Filtration System | Plate-and-frame filter press with cartridge polish filtration |
| Concentration System | Falling-film / vacuum evaporator with >95% solvent recovery |
| Drying System | Spray dryer or vacuum tray dryer |
| Automation | Configurable — manual, semi-automatic or fully automatic PLC-SCADA (recipe-based) |
| Plant Capacity | Configured to requirement — 100 kg/batch pilot to 2,000+ kg/batch commercial |
| Utility Requirements | Steam, chilled/cooling water, compressed air, soft/RO water, power (project-specific) |
| Compliance | GMP, WHO-GMP, HACCP, FSSAI; USFDA-ready hygienic design |
| Final Product Form | Free-flowing standardised powder |
Plant Capacities
| Plant Scale | Raw Material Throughput | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot | 100 kg/batch | Product development, parameter validation |
| Semi-Commercial | 500–1,000 kg/batch | Contract manufacturing, scale-up trials |
| Commercial | 2,000+ kg/batch | Export-grade continuous production |
Capacity is configured to raw-material supply and confirmed buyer volume; we recommend a pilot plant to validate phenolic recovery before scaling.
Manufacturing Process
Raw Material Reception & Cleaning
Echinacea purpurea aerial parts and/or root are authenticated, cleaned of soil and foreign matter, tested for moisture, and graded before processing.
Size Reduction
Cleaned raw material is milled to a uniform particle size appropriate to the plant part being processed, to maximise solvent contact ahead of extraction.
Hydro-Alcoholic Extraction
Milled material is extracted with a controlled hydro-alcoholic solvent system in closed jacketed SS 316L extractors under regulated, comparatively low temperature and multiple cycles, to maximise recovery of cichoric acid and related caffeic-acid phenolics while limiting degradation of the co-extracted alkylamide fraction.
Filtration
The crude extract is clarified through pressure leaf or plate-and-frame filter presses followed by cartridge polish filters to remove suspended plant fibre before concentration.
Vacuum Concentration & Solvent Recovery
The filtered extract is concentrated in a falling-film / vacuum evaporator at controlled low temperature, with greater than 95% solvent recovered, condensed and recycled through the condenser return system.
Standardisation
The concentrate is assayed by HPLC and adjusted to the declared Total Phenolics (Cichoric Acid) specification before drying.
Drying & Quality Control
The standardised Echinacea extract is spray- or vacuum-dried to a free-flowing powder, then released after HPLC assay, residual-solvent, heavy-metal, microbial, and moisture testing with full certificate-of-analysis documentation.
Major Plant Equipment
- Raw material cleaning system
- Grinding mill (root/aerial-parts configurable)
- Stainless-steel jacketed extraction vessels (SS 316L, low-temperature control)
- Solvent storage tanks
- Solvent transfer pumps
- Plate heat exchangers
- Pressure leaf / plate-and-frame filter press
- Cartridge polish filters
- Falling-film vacuum evaporator
- Solvent recovery & condenser system
- Spray dryer / vacuum tray dryer
- Product storage tanks
- CIP/SIP system
- PLC-SCADA automation panel, electrical MCC & instrumentation
Plant Output
From Plant to Product
Echinacea Purpurea Extract
This botanical is also in the product range of Sureka Life Sciences, our sister concern in botanical ingredients.
Applications
- Immune-support nutraceutical capsules, tablets, and supplement blends
- Cold and seasonal-wellness formulations
- Herbal tea and functional-beverage applications
- Pharmaceutical standardised ingredient supply
- Cosmetic and personal care active ingredients
- Export to regulated-market ingredient buyers
Key Features
GMP-Compliant SS 316L Construction
Electropolished SS 316L product-contact surfaces meet WHO-GMP requirements, with CIP operation between batches.
Low-Temperature Extraction for Alkylamide Retention
Extraction and concentration temperatures are controlled to protect the heat-labile alkylamide fraction alongside the primary cichoric-acid phenolic marker.
Closed-Loop Solvent Recovery (>95%)
Integrated recovery returns greater than 95% of the solvent per batch, cutting operating cost and meeting CPCB discharge norms.
HPLC-Verified Standardisation
In-process and batch-release HPLC assay hold the finished extract within its declared Total Phenolics (Cichoric Acid) specification.
Configurable Raw Material Handling
Cleaning and milling stages are configurable for root, aerial parts, or a blended feed depending on the target Echinacea grade.
Scalable Batch Capacity
Plants are configured from 100 kg/batch pilot scale to 2,000+ kg/batch commercial capacity with modular expansion.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does this page differ from Mechotech's other Echinacea pages?
Does Mechotech supply the complete machinery for Echinacea Purpurea?
What specification can the Echinacea Purpurea plant achieve?
Which plant part of Echinacea purpurea is used?
Why is extraction temperature controlled for Echinacea?
What production capacities are available for the Echinacea Purpurea plant?
Which industries use the Echinacea Purpurea plant?
What does an Echinacea Purpurea extraction plant cost, and how is pricing structured?
Ready to discuss your project?
Get a free quote and technical consultation from our engineering team.