The age of Eucommia ulmoides has an important impact on the content of its active ingredients, extraction rate and the quality of the final product. Through years of scientific research and evidence, we compared the differences in ingredients between 3-year-old and 5-year-old Eucommia ulmoides, and explored the best applications of Eucommia ulmoides of different ages in food, health products, beauty, medicine and animal feed. The results show that the reasonable selection of the harvesting year of Eucommia ulmoides can optimize its nutritional value and economic benefits, thereby enhancing the market competitiveness of the product.
The age of the Eucommia ulmoides tree has a great influence on the quality, and Eucommia ulmoides of different growth stages have their own characteristics. Generally speaking, the growth of Eucommia ulmoides can be divided into three stages: 1-3 years is the juvenile stage, 4-6 years is the growth stage, and 7 years and above enter the mature stage. The content and stability of active ingredients in each stage are different, so choosing the right tree age is critical.
|
Ingredient category |
3-year-old Eucommia ulmoides |
5-year-old Eucommia ulmoides |
|
Chlorogenic acid |
Low content, but active metabolism, high bioavailability |
High content, extraction rate increased by more than 20% |
|
Eucommia polysaccharides |
Low molecular weight polysaccharides, easy to absorb |
Increased high molecular weight polysaccharides, conducive to intestinal health |
|
Aucupariin |
Rich content, strong antioxidant capacity |
More stable structure, suitable for long-term storage |
|
Eucommia gum |
Low content |
Increased content by 30%, suitable for gelatin extraction |
|
Flavonoids |
Easy to extract, suitable for skin care products and health products |
Higher content, suitable for pharmaceutical-grade products |
There are several obvious advantages of 3-year-old Eucommia ulmoides:
First, its active ingredients are easier to absorb. Eucommia ulmoides at this stage are in a rapid growth period, with thinner cell walls, making it easier to extract active ingredients, and are particularly suitable for health care products and skin care products.
Secondly, it has stronger antioxidant capacity. Studies have found that 3-year-old Eucommia ulmoides contain more aucubin and flavonoids, and have better anti-aging effects.
In addition, its young leaves have a softer taste and less fiber, making them particularly suitable for making Eucommia ulmoides tea or other functional drinks.
The 5-year-old Eucommia has its own characteristics:
Its chlorogenic acid and eucommia gum content is higher, 20%-30% higher than that of the 3-year-old, and is more suitable for medicine, functional food or industrial raw materials.
Because of its longer growth time, the cell wall of the 5-year-old Eucommia is more stable, the extraction efficiency is higher, and it is more suitable for large-scale production, which can effectively reduce costs.
In terms of use, the 5-year-old Eucommia is more suitable for antihypertensive drugs, immune-enhancing drugs, or animal feed additives.
Research and application strategy
3-year-old Eucommia is mainly used for Eucommia tea, skin care products, and antioxidant health products.
5-year-old Eucommia is mainly used for medicine, functional food, animal feed and industrial applications.
The intelligent harvesting system combines ingredient testing to ensure harvesting at the optimal tree age.
Low-temperature drying technology retains active ingredients and improves product stability.
