UniCare is an internationally recognized, professional supplier of premium natural active ingredients. We serve a diverse and growing global market, delivering raw materials that power dietary supplements, functional foods, performance cosmetics, and innovative pharmaceutical applications. By prioritizing continuous product development, technological innovation, and reliable quality stability, we are dedicated to growing in partnership with our corporate clients worldwide.
To maintain an uninterrupted supply of standardized botanical extracts, UniCare maintains deep, long-term strategic cooperation with several of China's most advanced manufacturing facilities. These factories possess comprehensive quality management certifications, including GMP, EU-GMP, CEP, ISO9001, ISO22000, and HACCP. Equipped with state-of-the-art analytical laborites, every single production batch undergoes rigorous scientific verification to guarantee long-term stability and high bioactive purity.
Ajuga Reptans, commonly referred to as bugleweed, carpet bugle, or carpet bugleweed, is a herbaceous flowering plant native to Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa. In the context of industrial phytochemistry and global nutraceutical sourcing, Ajuga Reptans has emerged as one of the most critical commercial sources of phytoecdysteroids—particularly Turkesterone and 20-Hydroxyecdysone (20-HE).
Phytoecdysteroids are naturally occurring polyhydroxylated steroidal compounds that play a pivotal role in plant defense systems against insect herbivores. In mammalian physiology, these compounds have demonstrated remarkable adaptogenic, anabolic, and metabolic support activities. Unlike conventional synthetic anabolic agents, phytoecdysteroids do not bind to androgen receptors (AR) and do not suppress natural hormone levels. Instead, they promote protein synthesis by stimulating the translation process at the cellular level via pathways such as estrogen receptor-beta (ERβ) activation and ribosomal biogenesis.
Standardized to contain precise concentrations of Turkesterone (2% to 10%) and 20-Hydroxyecdysone via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) testing.
Accelerates muscle recovery, enhances nitrogen retention, and supports optimal protein synthesis without the adverse effects of androgenic disruption.
Helps the mammalian body adapt to environmental, physiological, and metabolic stressors, reducing systemic fatigue indices.
Aids lipid metabolism, assists in blood glucose regulation, and helps maintain cellular structural integrity under oxidative stress conditions.
Global sourcing heads in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries face significant pressure regarding ingredient safety, supplier credibility, and international regulatory alignment. For botanical ingredients like Ajuga Reptans Extract, concerns typically revolve around identity verification, pesticide residues, heavy metal toxicity, and batch-to-batch consistency.
At UniCare, we address these concerns through structured enterprise-level solutions that optimize the botanical supply chain from seed sourcing to shipping logistics:
We implement a GACP-compliant raw material procurement system. Every batch of harvested Ajuga Reptans can be traced directly to its designated geographic cultivation zone, tracking agricultural inputs, climate metrics, and harvest schedules.
Utilizing proprietary resin adsorption column chromatography, our factories isolate and purge undesired plant waxes, chlorogenic pigments, and heavy metals, leaving behind a highly clean, bio-available phytoecdysteroid matrix.
Whether navigating US FDA Dietary Supplement regulations, EU Novel Food guidelines, or regional cosmetic registration requirements, our regulatory affairs team supplies comprehensive documentation dossiers (COA, MSDS, flow charts, allergen declarations, GMO status statements).
UniCare views the technological infrastructure of extraction equipment as the foundation of quality. To support global procurement contracts, we collaborate with the largest and most advanced extraction facilities in China. The entire production line is governed by a modern, intelligent, and fully automated control system, reducing human error risk and optimizing energy efficiency.
Our partner facilities feature:
At UniCare, we invest 10% of our annual net profit directly back into research and development. Beyond traditional optimizations of herbal extraction techniques, we have established a dedicated R&D division for natural fermentation technologies. By targeting novel fermentation pathing, we seek to break through historical output ceilings and innovate botanical processing paradigms.
In parallel, we hold a long-standing, collaborative research agreement with the Beijing University of Chemical Technology in the field of industrial fermentation. This partnership translates cutting-edge lab innovations into stable, mass-produced pharmaceutical intermediates, cosmetic compounds, and healthcare raw materials.
To maintain tight control over incoming raw biomass, we operate a vertically integrated raw material procurement system. Sourcing parameters are extended directly to individual agricultural land parcels, ensuring end-to-end traceability of active compounds, residual soil minerals, and water quality.
In cooperation with agricultural growers, UniCare has built proprietary, model planting bases, including Ginkgo leaf bases, Epimedium cultivation zones, Phellodendron bases, and Olive leaf planting centers. Several of these plantations operate strictly under Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP). Additionally, we partner with specialized plant genetics laboratories to breed high-yield cultivar lines through selective hybridization, driving down raw material unit costs for our buyers.
To secure the trust of multi-national buyers, UniCare maintains a leading quality assurance framework. All analytical processes conform to rigorous internal operating parameters. Sourced lots must pass strict physical, chemical, and biological testing regimens prior to warehouse release.
Our CNAS-qualified central laboratory features advanced testing equipment, enabling a wide array of in-house testing procedures:
| Testing Parameter Category | Analytical Protocols & Target Assays |
|---|---|
| Active Ingredient Analysis | Target compound quantitation via HPLC-DAD or UV-Vis, chromatographic fingerprinting, and structural validation. |
| Hazardous Substance Analysis | Heavy metal testing (Lead, Arsenic, Cadmium, Mercury) via ICP-MS, residual organic solvent screening via Headspace GC, and multi-residue pesticide screening via GC-MS-MS. |
| Microbial Limits Verification | Total aerobic microbial count (TAMC), total yeasts and molds count (TYMC), alongside specific pathogen screenings (E. coli, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus) to USP standards. |
| Physical & Botanical Characterization | Microscopic morphological identification, thin-layer chromatography (TLC) identification, loss on drying (LOD), bulk/tap density, sieve particle sizing, ash content, and pH. |
| Stability & Regulatory Tracking | Real-time and accelerated stability chambers to define shelf-life curves under diverse climatic conditions; ongoing surveillance of international environmental laws. |
Our testing facility is equipped with high-end machinery to ensure precise analytical data:
Two UHPLC Agilent 1290 systems, four HPLC Agilent 1260 systems, two HPLC Shimadzu LC-20AT systems, and two HPLC Dionex UltiMate 3000 systems.
Two Shimadzu Evaporative Light Scattering Detectors (ELSD-2000ES) and one high-resolution Shimadzu GC-2010 gas chromatograph.
One Shimadzu AA-7000 atomic absorption spectrophotometer alongside a highly sensitive ICP-MS for trace mineral analysis.
As global consumer interest in adaptogens and plant-based muscle builders continues to rise, the market demands higher bio-accessibility and cleaner extraction technologies. Traditional solvent extraction processes often yield low concentrations of Turkesterone, requiring high dosing quantities. UniCare is actively executing a modern technical roadmap for Ajuga Reptans Extract:
We are scaling subcritical water extraction systems to replace organic solvent steps, using pressurized, heated water to selectively isolate ecdysteroids while lowering chemical waste profiles.
Phytoecdysteroids can exhibit limited water solubility. By employing cyclodextrin supramolecular encapsulation, we improve dissolution rates and overall bio-absorption in final formulations.
In partnership with the Beijing University of Chemical Technology, we are researching bioconversion methods to transform common plant sterols into high-purity Turkesterone using targeted enzyme systems.
