Milk Thistle Extract Powder - 30% Silybin & Isosilybin by UV
Flavonoids Extraction Plants

Milk Thistle Extract Powder - 30% Silybin & Isosilybin by UV

Milk Thistle Extract Powder by UV

Milk Thistle Extract Powder - 30% Silybin & Isosilybin by UV

Mechotech supplies the complete machinery for milk thistle extract powder production, standardised to 30% Silybin & Isosilybin by UV. Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) seed is the primary source of the silymarin flavonolignan complex (silybin, isosilybin), valued for liver support. Our turnkey plant extracts, concentrates, and spray-dries these actives into a standardised free-flowing powder for the nutraceutical, functional food, and pharmaceutical markets.

Mechotech designs and manufactures the milk thistle extract powder extraction plant as a turnkey solution with SS 316L construction, low-temperature aqueous-ethanol extraction, integrated solvent recovery, and spray drying. The process is engineered to protect the heat-sensitive silymarin fraction while achieving a consistent 30% silybin & isosilybin assay by UV and low moisture, meeting FSSAI, WHO-GMP, and export-grade specifications.

Manufacturing Process

1

Raw Material Preparation

Dried milk thistle seed is authenticated, tested for moisture (target below 10%), and milled to a uniform particle size to maximise solvent contact and release of the silymarin flavonolignans before extraction.

2

Extraction

Milled material is extracted with warm water or aqueous ethanol (40–70% v/v) in closed jacketed SS 316L extractors at 45–70°C. Multiple cycles with fresh solvent maximise silymarin recovery while limiting thermal degradation.

3

Filtration

The extract (miscella) is clarified through a plate-and-frame filter press followed by 1–5 micron cartridge polish filters to remove plant particulates before concentration.

4

Purification & Vacuum Concentration

For high-grade specifications, the extract passes a macroporous resin or membrane purification stage to enrich the target actives, then is concentrated in a falling-film evaporator at 50–65°C under vacuum with greater than 95% ethanol recovery.

5

Standardisation

The concentrate is assayed by UV for silybin & isosilybin content and blended or maltodextrin-adjusted to the declared 30% specification before drying.

6

Spray Drying & Quality Control

The standardised concentrate is spray-dried to a free-flowing powder with controlled inlet/outlet temperature to preserve the actives. Each batch undergoes UV assay, residual solvent, heavy metals, microbial, and moisture testing before release.

Applications

  • Liver-support nutraceutical capsule and tablet formulations
  • Functional food and dietary supplement manufacturing
  • Pharmaceutical standardised botanical ingredient supply
  • Ayurvedic and traditional medicine preparations
  • Cosmetic and personal care active ingredient supply
  • Export to nutraceutical ingredient buyers in regulated markets

Key Features

  • GMP-Compliant SS 316L Construction

    All product-contact surfaces are electropolished SS 316L, meeting WHO-GMP and Schedule M requirements for botanical extract manufacturing, with clean-in-place (CIP) operation between batches.

  • Standardised 30% Assay by UV

    In-process and batch-release UV assay hold the finished powder within its declared 30% silybin & isosilybin specification for consistent, buyer-ready quality.

  • Closed-Loop Solvent Recovery (>95%)

    Integrated condenser-distillation recovery returns greater than 95% of the ethanol per batch, cutting variable operating cost and meeting CPCB solvent discharge norms.

  • Integrated Spray Drying

    A matched spray dryer converts the standardised concentrate into a free-flowing, low-moisture powder ready for encapsulation and blending, completing the turnkey powder line.

  • Scalable Batch Capacity

    Plants are configured from 100 kg/batch pilot scale to 2,000+ kg/batch commercial capacity, with a modular design that allows expansion without replacing core equipment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is milk thistle extract powder and why is it commercially extracted?
Milk thistle extract powder is the concentrated, spray-dried extract of Silybum marianum seed, standardised to 30% Silybin & Isosilybin by UV. It delivers the plant's liver-support flavonolignans in a stable, consistently dosed form for nutraceutical, functional food, and pharmaceutical use — unlike raw seed, which has variable content.
Does Mechotech supply the machinery for milk thistle extract powder?
Yes. Mechotech supplies the complete turnkey machinery — extraction vessels, filtration, purification, vacuum concentration with solvent recovery, and spray drying — engineered, fabricated at our Hyderabad facility, installed, and commissioned as a single performance-verified plant.
What is the difference between the HPLC and UV grades of milk thistle extract?
The two grades are assayed differently: the HPLC grade is standardised to 80% silymarin measured by HPLC, while the UV grade is standardised to 30% silybin & isosilybin measured by UV. Mechotech's plants can be configured to produce either grade, with the analytical method matched to the target buyer specification.
What testing method confirms this milk thistle extract specification?
The declared 30% specification is confirmed by UV assay on every batch, supported by residual-solvent, heavy-metal, microbial, and moisture testing for full certificate-of-analysis documentation required by regulated-market buyers.

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