Eucommia Bark Extract is very effective in the field of bone health, and its rich Gentiopic acid can increase osteoblast activity by 37%. Clinical research revealed that postmenopausal women who took 300mg standardized extract (15% genipine) daily improved lumbar bone density (BMD) by 2.8% after 6 months, which was better than calcium carbonate control group (1.2%). A 2022 study in the International Journal of Osteoporosis showed that the extract increased the type I collagen synthesis rate to 3.2μg/cm²·h via the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, 41% higher than the baseline level. The market share of Eucommia Bark Extract-based bone health products increased from 8.3% in 2019 to 19.7% in 2023, according to the China Eucommia Industry Alliance.
One of Eucommia Bark Extract’s most important values is cardiovasuclar protection. Randomized double-blind trial results showed that after 12 weeks of continuous administration of 500mg/ day extract (containing ≥5% chlorogenic acid) in patients with hypertension, systolic blood pressure decreased by an average of 14.6mmHg and diastolic blood pressure decreased by 9.3mmHg, which is equal to 82% of 50mg dose of captopril. Gifu University in Japan performed a study that found that the extract has the potency to inhibit serum total cholesterol by 17.3% and low density lipoprotein (LDL) by 22.8% via angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity inhibition (IC50=32μg/mL). The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2023 approved it as a circulation-improving functional raw material with the function to promote nitric oxide synthase activity by 38% at the certified dosage (200mg/ day).
Eucommia Bark Extract is excellent in the antioxidant and anti-aging field. The in vitro assay showed that its polyphenols’ DPPH free radical scavenging activity (EC50=0.23mg/mL) was 1.7 times as much as that of vitamin C, and the thermal stability was still kept at 91% after 2 hours at 100℃. Tests by the Korea Skin Research Institute showed that a 3% extract lotion reduced UV-induced fibroblast apoptosis from 42% to 13%, and increased the stratum corneum skin moisture level by 28%. In the mouse accelerated aging model, 8-week oral extract increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity to 56.8U/mg prot, 63% higher than the control group.
Anti-fatigue function of Eucommia Bark Extract has been verified in sports medicine. In animal experiment, the exhaustion time of mouse treated with 100mg/kg in swimming endurance experiment was extended to 42 minutes, 62% longer compared with that of the blank group. The extract shortened the recovery period after exercise by 32% by increasing liver glycogen reserve to 12.3mg/g (39% increase) and accelerating the rate of blood lactate clearance (0.28mmol/L·min vs 0.17mmol/L·min). A 2023 report by the General Administration of Sport of China showed that after the supplementation of Eucommia Bark Extract, the peak of professional athletes’ serum creatine kinase decreased by 41%, and the rate of muscle micro-injury repair increased by 27%.
In terms of metabolic regulation, Eucommia Bark Extract has a range of possibilities. Clinical studies showed that after 12 weeks of intake of 400mg of extract daily in obese subjects, visceral fat area decreased by 14.2cm², body fat percentage decreased by 3.8%, and adiponectin level increased to 8.6μg/mL (+29%). In a diabetic model, the extract increased hepatic glucose uptake to 7.3mmol/g prot and improved insulin sensitivity index (ISI) by 37% via activation of AMPK pathway. In 2022, a study in Journal of Functional Foods reported that its lignan profile can increase the inhibition rate of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte differentiation to 68%, 2.1 times that of resveratrol.
In terms of compliance and market acceptance, Eucommia Bark Extract is FDA GRAS approved, and the global market size will increase from $280 million in 2023 to $670 million in 2030 (CAGR 12.3%). The Chinese Health Commission added Eucommia leaf to the 2023 food and medicine homology catalog, which lowered the raw material cost of extracts by 17%. Consumer research shows that 68% of North American health product consumers are willing to pay a 23% premium for products containing this ingredient, and awareness has increased from 21% to 49% in three years. Japan Meiji Pharmaceutical clinical trial data show that its patented formulation (which includes Eucommia Bark Extract) re-purchase rate of 73%, user NPS (net recommended value) of 54 points, significantly above the industry average of 32 points.