Hypericum perforatum

Our raw Hypericum perforatum is grown on a herb farm in Bulgaria (Bulgaria is a leading producer of medicinal herbs with over 750 different plant species grown in the country’s varied climate zones).

Hypericin levels in St John’s Wort show a wide seasonal variation, rising rapidly in spring when the flower shoots reach a height of between 5 and 10 centimetres and continuing to rise until the plant is in full flower, when the hypericin levels tend to fall back.

There are over 450 species of Hypericum perforatum, but few of these are known to contain hypericin so herb identification is essential.  Of the two main strains grown for hypericin the broad-leafed strain is indigenous to northern Europe and the narrow-leafed strain is indigenous to southern Europe (although of course commercial production of either strain can take place anywhere).  The narrow-leaf strain has been found to contain approximately twice the concentration of hypericin as the broad-leaf strain.

There are strong indications that hypericin production is roughly 20% higher in years which experience above-average rainfall.

Seedlings of St. John's Wort are slow growing and compete poorly with other plants.  The seeds need light for germination and should be sown shallow depths (not more than two millimetres). Deep planting results in weak young seedlings.

St. John's Wort produces a deep root system. Generally the best harvest time is when the crop is half in bud and half in open flower. Timing is important in order to capture the hypericin levels at their peak.

Later harvests may yield very low hypericin levels.  Harvesting is normally not done until the second year, as there is usually limited flowering in the year of planting. The crop is usually dried under cover, to help retain the colour and preserve quality.

Herbs In A Bottle supplies Hypericum perforatum as a Tincture (in litre and half-litres), a Fluid Extract (in litre and half-litres), a Fixed Oil (in litre and half-litres), Cut herb (500g) and Powder (500g).

Curcuma longa or Turmeric Root

  

Today we are making tincture of Curcuma longa or Turmeric Root, also fluid extract, cut and powder versions.

• We obtain our raw Curcuma longa or Turmeric Root rhizomes from India which is the world's largest producer of the crop.
• Curcuma longa or Turmeric Root requires a hot, tropical climate to grow, and does well in a light soil - healthy plants grow a metre high.
• Curcuma longa or Turmeric Root is brownish-yellow colour and when cut has a orange interior (becoming bright yellow when dried and powdered).
• Farming techniques and local climate can influence curcumin content of Curcuma longa - it can vary from 2% to 8% (testing the crop is vital).

Next year's Scutellaria lateriflora (Skullcap) crop

Above you can see next year's Scutellaria lateriflora (Skullcap) crop being planted on a specialist herb farm in an organic valley in north-west America.

Herbs in a Bottle have already contracted to buy this crop, assuming it meets the pre-set quality criteria.  Over the coming weeks and months we will be receiving regular updates on how the crop is progressing.  It is genuinely exciting for us to see the tiny shoots grow to maturity, nurtured with care and love (love is not an exaggeration - the herb farm is staffed by herbal enthusiasts!).

We are very careful on how we choose the farmers and growers who supply our herbs.  We ask many searching questions on the history and ownership of the company, and look for partners who match our high ethical standards.  We also rate suppliers on the current licences they hold, and monitor renewal dates of those licences.

The management structure of a company is also of interest.  We look for people who are motivated as well as just technically competent.  Above all we value an interest in herbs (an enthusiasm for herbs is very hard to fake). 

Quality systems also receive scrutiny.  We look for documented control procedures and accountability (ideally we want named individuals who will take responsibility for each stage of the growing, harvesting and forwarding process).  Complete traceability of every batch is essential. 

Obtaining raw herbs is more than just a matter of legislative compliance, codes of practice, and growing guidelines (vitally important though these elements are).  We are interested in how raw herbs are stored prior to shipment and who has access to them (and what clothing they wear and whether they have been trained in hygiene procedures).  We even ask about the drains and where they flow to.

Employee training is another area we ask about.  We ask questions about induction of new staff and whether any casual or agency staff are ever employed.  As well as training and re-training, we also ask whether training records are audited (and who by).

Medical screening of staff is additional area of interest for us, and we will want to know what medical facilities the supplier will have, and what the reporting procedures are for staff who become ill.

This might all sound very single-minded and procedural, but as well as the details we are also interested in the wider picture.  The quality of the air, the purity of the water, the health of the soil - all contribute to the value of the herbs.  That is why we look for farmers and growers of integrity, living in harmony with nature.

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Solidago virgaurea or European Goldenrod herb

Today we are making tincture, fluid extract, powder and cut herb versions of Solidago virgaurea or European Goldenrod herb.

Solidago virgaurea is a native European species and can be found throughout the continent.

All parts of the plant are used except the root.

We obtain our supplies of raw Solidago virgaurea from Poland where it is regarded as a valuable medicinal plant and has been the subject of a number of academic studies.

In Poland Solidago virgaurea is gathered from a variety of wild sites - mainly lowlands, low mountains, dry meadows and forest glades.  Solidago virgaurea abundance in the wild is evaluated according to the Braun-Blanquet scale - if it is not abundant it must not be gathered.  Wild harvesting of herbs can result in variation in the content of biologically-active compounds, therefore sampling is prudent.

Harvesting sites are traditional.  Three harvests are carried out - May/June, July and September.  Variations have been recorded in the compound content of the herb according to when it is harvested, and also the conditions under which it has been grown.

Studies indicate content of polyphenolic acids greatest in the first and last harvests.

Solidago virgaurea seems to prefer partially shaded sites - it does well in a light indicator of 3.0 to 4.0.  The highest content of flavonoids has been obtained from plants grown in this light range.  Significant differences in flavonoid content have been recorded in Solidago virgaurea according to raw material origin within Poland.

Studies indicate that the highest content of flavonoids in Solidago virgaurea is found during the vegetative stage (before flowering).

However studies are at an early stage. 

Irrespective of where and when grown Chromatographic analysis (HPLC) of all samples of Solidago virguarea show the three flavonoids rutin, astragalin and hyperodside plus the two polyphenolic acids rosmarinic and chlorogenic. 

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Juniperus communis or Juniper Berry

Today we are making Tincture, Fluid Extract, Cut and Powdered versions of the herb Juniperus communis or Juniper Berry.

We also offer the herb as an Essential Oil in 10ml bottles.

We obtain our raw Juniper berries from Albania where they are collected from wild - the berries must be dark blue in colour when they are picked.

The tincture has an aromatic odour and a bitter resinous taste.

www.herbsinabottle.com or see a pdf version of our catalogue

Rosmarinus officinalis or Rosemary Leaf

Today we have manufactured Rosmarinus officinalis or Rosemary Leaf Tincture, Fluid Extract, cut and powdered herb.

Constituents of Rosmarinus officinalis include antioxidants, carnosic acid, rosmarinic acid, betulinic acid, rosmaridiphenol and rosmanol.

We also offer Rosemary as an essential oil - 10ml, 20ml, 50ml, 100ml, 500ml.

According to a Defra (Department of Farming and Rural Affairs) report Rosmarinus officinalis antioxidants levels are closely related to soil moisture content.

Scutellaria lateriflora

Our supply of Scutellaria lateriflora or Skullcap Herb growing on a specialist Organic herb farm in North America.  The soil you can see is volcanic ash.  All the water used for irrigation on the farm is melted glacier water - exceptionally pure.

Scutellaria lateriflora is sensitive to the climate and sometimes the crop can fail.

Shortages of Scutellaria lateriflora can lead to price rises as buyers try to outbid each other.

This creates a time of risk for medical herbalists as manufacturers may be tempted to purchase supplies of the raw herb from dubious sources.

Always buy from a GMP licensed company - or insist on a bona fide Certificate of Analysis.

Our catalogue is now in a searchable pdf format

The Herbs in a Bottle catalogue is available as a pdf:

Catalogue

It includes a search box, so just type in the name of the herb you are interested in and it will take you straight to the page.

If you want to order just send the product code and amount to sales@herbsinabottle.com and we will process the order and contact you to arrange payment.

Please note that we can only sell to qualified medical herbalists.

Inula helenium root

Today we are making products from raw Inula helenium root - cut herb, powder, fluid extract and tincture.

As with all raw herbs entering Essendine, the roots will go through many tests before they are released for production including formal identification; formal check on status (GMO herbs are not allowed onto our Essendine site, and all herbs must have documented proof that they are GMO free); microbiological analysis (including checks for TVC, enterobacteriacea, yeast & moulds, E-coli, Salmonella, Staphylococcus Aureus); checks for toxins (including lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic); checks for pesticide residues, checks for aflotoxins etc

If for any reason the raw herb fails the tests it is rejected - there is no possibility it can be released for production, no matter how urgent the demand might be.

Calendula

Calendula is one of the most versatile plants in our Materia Medica and deserves special attention.

We obtain the finest Calendula flowers from each new crop and carefully check all aspects of quality, including a full pesticide residue analysis.

Our extracts are carefully percolated without the use of additional heat.

Achieving consistency

We are often asked why we only offer two standard strengths for the majority of our medicines - 1:1 fluid extracts and 1:3 tinctures.  We took the decision to standardise in this way because we know that many practitioners blend tinctures and fluid extracts, and having a standardised range makes blending much easier to calculate.  Achieving consistency is of primary importance in manufacture of herbal medicines and therefore with a very few exceptions we maintain the 1:1 and 1:3 strengths rather than the confusing mixture of strengths offered by some manufacturers.

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"Alternative supplies" are often unknown quantities

Herbs are products of the natural world, and as such they are subject to all the vagaries of nature.  The rains can wash them away, the plants can be devoured by insects, the hot sun can shrivel them up.  We look for growers who love their herbal crops, as these are usually the most reliable suppliers of good quality raw materials.

However from time to time shortages will occur.

For instance there was recently a shortage of echinacea due to the failure of the crop in north America.

When this happens manufacturers will start scouring the world for an alternative supply.

This can create risks for medical practitioners and ultimately their patients.

"Alternative supplies" are often unknown quantities.  Many times we have looked for alternatives and found that the herbs are too contaminated - polluted water has been used for irrigation; they have been grown near factories pumping out air full of nasties; they are simply the wrong species and thus do not have the desired active constituents.  Sometimes "alternative supplies" can come good, but most times they are unusable.

Therefore if there is a general shortage of a herb and "suddenly" one manufacturer has new batches of medicines for this herb you should be suspicious and start asking questions.

And remember the golden rule - only buy from GMP accredited companies (check the GMP licence on the MHRA website www.mhra.gov.uk using the searchbox for manufacturer's licences).  Don't accept bland assurances that they "work to GMP standards".  Insist on knowing the GMP licence number.

If the company is not GMP they could be selling you anything.

The purity of the raw herbs

Although the growing conditions for herbs are of vital importance, one cannot assume that just because a plant looks healthy, has lush foliage and a scintillating fresh aroma that it is suitable to be used in herbal medicines.

It is essential that raw herbs are correctly tested for microbiologial contamination such as yeasts and moulds, e-coli and salmonella.  They also need to be tested for contamination resulting from pollution such as lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic (especially important for herbs grown close to urban areas or arterial roads).  In addition testing needs to be carried out to ensure that no extraneous plant material has been gathered up when harvesting the herbs, and this is of crucial importance when the herb concerned has a close relative that can be mistaken at first glance for the medicinal version of the plant.

The effectiveness of herbal medicines depends on the purity of the raw herbs used.

Verbena Officinalis (Blue Vervain herb)

This week we have been making tincture of Verbena Officinalis (Blue Vervain herb).

The tincture that is produced has a dark brown colour, usually clear (but can sometimes be slightly opaque), and with a characteristic liquid mobility.

As with all tinctures, sediments can occasionally form, but Verbena tincture is not known for sediment.

The smell is unique - both aromatic and penetrating.  The taste has been described as "pleasantly bitter" (Verbena is used as a flavouring in liqueurs).  Constituents have been identified as: alkoloids, choline, volatile oil, flavonoids.

Care should be taken in sourcing raw Verbena Officinalis to avoid hybrids.

Planning a new catalogue

We are planning a new catalogue for autumn this year.

Are there any new herbs you wish us to stock?  As long as we can predict demand for 25kg of raw herb per year (processed into tinctures, fluid extracts and powders) we are always willing to consider new medicines to add to our portfolio.  Do also please give us feedback on any other aspect of our catalogue we need to address.

Just e-mail us on sales@herbsinabottle.com