What Is Rosa Roxburghii Extract?
There are thousands of botanical extracts on the supplement market. Very few of them have the kind of nutritional profile that makes a formulator stop and take notice. Rosa roxburghii - known in China as Cili (刺梨) or Roxburgh Rose - is one of them.
Native to the mountainous regions of southwestern China, Rosa roxburghii Tratt. produces a small, spiny fruit that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine and regional cuisine for centuries. What modern analytical science has confirmed is remarkable: this fruit contains one of the highest natural concentrations of Vitamin C ever recorded in any plant species, alongside extraordinary levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), ellagic acid, polyphenols, and flavonoids - a bioactive density that positions it as a genuinely differentiated ingredient in the crowded antioxidant and skin health supplement space.
For B2B buyers - supplement brands, nutraceutical manufacturers, cosmetic ingredient formulators, and private-label operators - Rosa Roxburghii Extract offers something increasingly rare: a clinically credible, clean-label ingredient with a compelling story and a growing body of peer-reviewed research to back it up.
Product Origin & Raw Material Sourcing
The quality of any botanical extract is inseparable from where and how its raw material is grown. Rosa roxburghii is not a globally commoditized crop - it thrives in specific ecological conditions, and the best material comes from a well-defined geographic origin.
Geographic Origin
Our Rosa Roxburghii Extract is sourced from Guizhou Province, China - widely recognized as the premier growing region for Cili fruit. The combination of high altitude (800–1,500m above sea level), abundant rainfall, acidic red soil, and significant diurnal temperature variation creates growing conditions that naturally drive higher accumulation of Vitamin C, SOD activity, and polyphenolic compounds in the fruit.
Guizhou's Cili industry is not incidental - the provincial government has actively developed it as a strategic agricultural product, and the region accounts for the majority of China's commercial Rosa roxburghii cultivation. This concentration of expertise, infrastructure, and agronomic knowledge translates directly into more consistent raw material quality.
Sourcing Standards
* Contracted farming network - We work with established growers under multi-year supply agreements, with direct oversight of cultivation practices and harvest protocols
* Harvest timing discipline - Fruit is harvested at peak ripeness, when Vitamin C and SOD activity are at their highest. Post-harvest processing begins within hours to prevent oxidative degradation
* Non-GMO, pesticide-managed cultivation - All incoming lots are tested for pesticide residues against EU MRL standards before processing begins
* Full lot traceability - Every production batch is traceable to its specific growing region, harvest date, and grower ID

Key Bioactive Compounds & Nutritional Profile
What makes Rosa Roxburghii Extract genuinely exceptional - and worth the premium over generic antioxidant ingredients - is the density and diversity of its bioactive compound profile. This is not a single-compound extract; it's a complex matrix of synergistic phytochemicals.
Primary Bioactives
1. Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid) Rosa roxburghii fruit contains 400–3,500 mg of Vitamin C per 100g fresh weight depending on cultivar and growing conditions - a concentration that dwarfs oranges (~50 mg/100g) and even acerola cherry (~1,000–1,700 mg/100g) in many comparative analyses. In dried extract form, this translates to exceptionally high ascorbic acid content per gram of ingredient.
2. Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) Perhaps the most distinctive feature of Rosa roxburghii is its unusually high endogenous SOD activity. SOD is one of the body's primary antioxidant enzymes, catalyzing the dismutation of superoxide radicals. Most plant-derived ingredients contain negligible SOD activity; Rosa roxburghii is a rare exception, with documented SOD levels that have attracted significant research interest for anti-aging and oxidative stress applications.
3. Ellagic Acid & Ellagitannins Rosa roxburghii is a rich source of ellagic acid, a polyphenol with well-documented antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and potential chemopreventive properties. Research has characterized the ellagic acid content across different parts of the plant and confirmed robust in vitro antioxidant activity in ethanol extracts.
4. Flavonoids & Polyphenols A broad spectrum of flavonoids - including quercetin, kaempferol, and their glycosides - contribute to the extract's overall antioxidant capacity and anti-inflammatory profile.
5. Triterpenoids & Organic Acids Including ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, and citric acid, which contribute to the extract's metabolic and hepatoprotective bioactivity.
Typical Nutritional Profile (Standardized Extract, Per 100g)
|
Compound / Parameter |
Typical Value |
|
Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid) |
≥ 10% (standard grade); ≥ 20% available |
|
Total Polyphenols |
≥ 15% (GAE) |
|
Ellagic Acid |
≥ 1.0% (HPLC) |
|
Total Flavonoids |
≥ 5% |
|
SOD Activity |
≥ 3,000 U/g (standard); higher grades available |
|
Moisture |
≤ 5.0% |
|
Ash |
≤ 5.0% |
Full nutritional breakdown and custom standardization specifications available on request.
Certificate of Analysis (COA) - Standard Specifications
Every batch of Joywin Rosa Roxburghii Extract ships with a comprehensive COA covering identity, purity, potency, and safety parameters:
|
Test Parameter |
Specification |
Test Method |
|
Appearance |
Brown to reddish-brown fine powder |
Visual |
|
Odor & Taste |
Characteristic, slightly tart |
Organoleptic |
|
Particle Size |
80 mesh (95% pass) |
Sieve analysis |
|
Moisture Content |
≤ 5.0% |
Karl Fischer |
|
Ash Content |
≤ 5.0% |
Gravimetric |
|
Vitamin C |
≥ 10% (customizable to ≥ 20%) |
HPLC / Titration |
|
Total Polyphenols |
≥ 15% |
UV-Vis (Folin-Ciocalteu) |
|
Ellagic Acid |
≥ 1.0% |
HPLC |
|
Total Flavonoids |
≥ 5% |
UV-Vis |
|
SOD Activity |
≥ 3,000 U/g |
Enzyme activity assay |
|
Heavy Metals (Pb) |
≤ 2.0 mg/kg |
ICP-MS |
|
Heavy Metals (Cd) |
≤ 0.3 mg/kg |
ICP-MS |
|
Arsenic (As) |
≤ 1.0 mg/kg |
ICP-MS |
|
Mercury (Hg) |
≤ 0.1 mg/kg |
ICP-MS |
|
Pesticide Residues |
Compliant with EU MRL |
GC-MS / LC-MS |
|
Total Plate Count |
≤ 10,000 CFU/g |
USP <61> |
|
Yeast & Mold |
≤ 100 CFU/g |
USP <62> |
|
Salmonella |
Negative / 25g |
BAM |
|
E. coli |
Negative / 1g |
BAM |
|
Solvent Residues |
Compliant with ICH Q3C |
GC Headspace |
Custom standardization (e.g., Vitamin C ≥ 20%, SOD ≥ 5,000 U/g) available for premium formulations.
Manufacturing Process
Producing a high-quality Rosa Roxburghii Extract requires more than simply drying and grinding the fruit. The extraction process must be carefully engineered to preserve the most labile bioactives - particularly Vitamin C and SOD - while achieving consistent standardization of the full bioactive profile.
Step 1 - Raw Material Receiving & Inspection Incoming Cili fruit is inspected for visual quality, moisture content, and initial Vitamin C content. Pesticide screening is conducted before any material enters the production line.
Step 2 - Cleaning & Preparation Fruit is washed in food-grade water systems, de-seeded (seeds are processed separately for seed oil applications), and prepared for extraction.
Step 3 - Extraction We use water extraction or water/ethanol extraction (solvent ratio optimized per specification) at controlled low temperatures to maximize bioactive yield while minimizing thermal degradation of Vitamin C and enzyme activity. Extraction parameters - temperature, time, solvent ratio, pH - are validated and locked per product specification.
Step 4 - Filtration & Concentration The crude extract is filtered to remove particulates, then concentrated under low-temperature vacuum evaporation to preserve heat-sensitive compounds. This step is where many manufacturers cut corners - we do not.
Step 5 - Spray Drying or Freeze Drying Concentrated extract is dried using either spray drying (standard grade) or freeze drying (premium grade, for maximum SOD activity and Vitamin C retention). Freeze-dried Rosa Roxburghii Extract commands a premium but delivers measurably superior bioactive retention.
Step 6 - Standardization & Blending Dried extract is tested for active content, then blended to achieve the target specification (e.g., Vitamin C ≥ 10%, SOD ≥ 3,000 U/g). Carrier materials (maltodextrin, acacia gum) may be added at this stage for spray-dried grades to improve flowability.
Step 7 - QC Testing, Packaging & Release Full COA testing is completed before any batch is released. Finished extract is packed under nitrogen-flushed conditions and stored in temperature-controlled warehouses.
Quality Control & Certifications
Our quality management infrastructure is built to satisfy the requirements of the world's most demanding regulatory markets - the US, EU, Japan, and Australia.
Facility Certifications:
ISO 9001 - Quality Management System
ISO 22000 - Food Safety Management System
FSSC 22000 - Food Safety System Certification
cGMP - Current Good Manufacturing Practice
Kosher & Halal Certified
USDA NOP Organic (organic grade available)
BRC Global Standard for Food Safety
QC Process Highlights:
Three-stage testing protocol - incoming raw material, in-process, and finished goods
HPLC-verified active content on every batch - Vitamin C, ellagic acid, and total polyphenols are not estimated; they are measured
SOD activity assay - enzyme activity is quantified, not assumed
Third-party laboratory verification - independent confirmation available for all key parameters
Batch retain samples - archived for 24 months for full traceability
Allergen and GMO status documentation - provided as standard
Health Benefits & Scientific Evidence
The health benefit profile of Rosa Roxburghii Extract is one of the most compelling in the botanical ingredient space - and it is increasingly supported by peer-reviewed clinical and preclinical research.
1. Skin Health & Anti-Aging
A clinical study published in PMC/NIH evaluated an oral supplement containing Rosa roxburghii extract for skin health outcomes. The findings demonstrated measurable improvements in skin hydration, elasticity, and reduction of oxidative stress markers - outcomes attributed to the synergistic action of Vitamin C (essential for collagen synthesis) and the extract's broad antioxidant activity.
A separate study on Rosa roxburghii fruit extract complex confirmed its efficacy as a nutraceutical for mitigating skin aging, with statistically significant improvements in skin texture and photoaging markers in human subjects.
2. Antioxidant Capacity
The combined Vitamin C, SOD, ellagic acid, and polyphenol content of Rosa roxburghii creates a multi-mechanism antioxidant effect that is genuinely difficult to replicate with single-compound ingredients. Research has documented exceptional DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity in Rosa roxburghii extracts, with activity levels that compare favorably to reference antioxidants.
3. Immune System Support
Vitamin C is one of the most evidence-backed nutrients for immune function - supporting the proliferation and function of lymphocytes, neutrophil chemotaxis, and antibody production. The exceptionally high natural Vitamin C content of Rosa roxburghii makes it a compelling source ingredient for immune-support formulations, with the added benefit of co-occurring bioflavonoids that enhance ascorbic acid bioavailability.
4. Anti-Inflammatory Activity
Ellagic acid and the polyphenolic fraction of Rosa roxburghii have demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity in multiple in vitro models, with inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokine production (TNF-α, IL-6) documented in preclinical studies.
5. Hepatoprotective & Metabolic Effects
Traditional use of Cili in Chinese medicine for liver health has a growing body of preclinical evidence behind it. Triterpenoids and polyphenols in the extract have shown hepatoprotective activity in animal models, with potential applications in liver health and metabolic syndrome formulations.
6. Collagen Synthesis Support
Vitamin C is an essential cofactor for prolyl hydroxylase and lysyl hydroxylase - the enzymes responsible for collagen cross-linking and stabilization. Adequate Vitamin C is non-negotiable for collagen synthesis, making Rosa Roxburghii Extract a natural fit for beauty-from-within, joint health, and skin elasticity formulations.
Application Scenarios - Where B2B Clients Are Using It
Rosa Roxburghii Extract sits at the intersection of several of the fastest-growing supplement and cosmetic categories:
|
Application Category |
Specific Product Types |
|
Beauty-from-Within Supplements |
Collagen support capsules, skin brightening formulas, anti-aging nutraceuticals |
|
Immune Support |
High-potency Vitamin C supplements, immune complex formulas, daily wellness capsules |
|
Antioxidant Formulations |
ORAC-focused blends, cellular protection supplements, longevity formulas |
|
Functional Beverages |
Vitamin C-enriched drink powders, beauty shots, wellness RTD beverages |
|
Sports & Recovery |
Post-workout antioxidant blends, recovery formulas, oxidative stress support |
|
Cosmetic / Topical |
Brightening serums, anti-aging creams, topical antioxidant formulations |
|
Traditional / Herbal Products |
TCM-inspired formulations, adaptogen blends, botanical wellness products |
|
Pet Nutrition |
Premium antioxidant pet supplements (emerging category) |
Formulator Case Study: A European nutraceutical brand developing a premium "Beauty Collagen" product line wanted a natural, high-potency Vitamin C source to replace synthetic ascorbic acid - driven by consumer demand for clean-label, food-derived ingredients. They required HPLC-verified Vitamin C content ≥15%, documentation for EU Novel Food compliance review, and the ability to make "natural source of Vitamin C" label claims. Joywin supplied a standardized Rosa Roxburghii Extract meeting all specifications, with full technical dossier support. The ingredient is now featured prominently in their product marketing as a key differentiator.
Packaging & Logistics
Standard Packaging Options:
25 kg fiber drums with double inner PE liner (nitrogen-flushed, moisture barrier)
1 kg / 5 kg aluminum foil bags for sample orders or small-batch production
Custom packaging for white-label or private-label programs
Storage Conditions:
Temperature: ≤ 25°C (cool, dry environment)
Humidity: ≤ 60% RH
Protect from direct light and strong odors
Shelf life: 24 months from production date under recommended conditions
Note: Vitamin C content is sensitive to heat, light, and humidity - proper storage is critical for maintaining potency throughout shelf life
Export & Logistics:
|
Parameter |
Details |
|
Incoterms |
FOB, CIF, EXW (flexible) |
|
Lead Time |
2–3 weeks (standard); 4–6 weeks (custom spec) |
|
Primary Ports |
Qingdao, Shanghai, Guangzhou |
|
Standard Documents |
COA, MSDS/SDS, Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Certificate of Origin, Phytosanitary Certificate |
|
Regulatory Support |
FDA (US), EFSA (EU), Health Canada, TGA (Australia), MHLW (Japan) |
|
Certifications Provided |
ISO, FSSC, Kosher, Halal, Organic (on request) |

JOYWIN Exhibition Show
JOYWIN attend international exhibitions, including CPhI, FIC, API, Vitafoods, SupplesideWest.

FAQ
Q: How does Rosa Roxburghii Extract compare to Acerola Cherry as a natural Vitamin C source?
Both are among the highest natural sources of Vitamin C. Rosa roxburghii frequently exceeds acerola in Vitamin C concentration, and it offers a significantly broader bioactive profile - including SOD activity and ellagic acid - that acerola does not provide. For formulators seeking a single ingredient that delivers Vitamin C plus antioxidant enzyme activity plus polyphenols, Rosa Roxburghii Extract is the more complete solution.
Q: Is the Vitamin C in Rosa Roxburghii Extract natural or synthetic?
The Vitamin C in our extract is naturally occurring L-ascorbic acid derived directly from the Cili fruit. It is not synthetic ascorbic acid added to the extract. This distinction matters enormously for clean-label formulations and for brands making "natural source of Vitamin C" claims. HPLC analysis confirms the ascorbic acid content; we do not artificially fortify our extracts.
Q: Can Rosa Roxburghii Extract be used in cosmetic formulations?
Yes. The extract has demonstrated skin health benefits in both oral supplement and topical cosmetic applications. For topical use, the Vitamin C and polyphenol content support brightening, antioxidant protection, and anti-aging claims. Relevant safety and stability data for cosmetic applications are available upon request.
Q: What is the SOD activity of your standard extract, and how is it measured?
Our standard grade delivers ≥ 3,000 U/g SOD activity, measured by enzyme activity assay (WST-1 method or equivalent). High-potency grades (≥ 5,000 U/g) are available. SOD activity is one of the most technically demanding parameters to measure and maintain - it is a key differentiator of our extract versus lower-quality alternatives that list SOD as a feature without providing quantified activity data.
Q: Is Rosa Roxburghii Extract approved for use in the EU?
EU Novel Food status depends on the specific extract form and intended use. We provide full technical dossier support for clients navigating EU Novel Food authorization, including safety data, compositional analysis, and history of use documentation. We recommend engaging a regulatory consultant for EU market entry - our team can provide all necessary technical documentation to support that process.
Q: What is your minimum order quantity?
Standard MOQ is 25 kg for existing specifications. Sample quantities (100g–500g) are available for evaluation. Custom specifications (higher Vitamin C standardization, freeze-dried grade, organic certification) may have different MOQ requirements - contact our technical sales team for details.
Q: Do you offer organic-certified Rosa Roxburghii Extract?
Yes. We offer organic-certified grades under USDA NOP and JAS certification. Organic supply is subject to seasonal availability and higher MOQ. Full organic certification documentation is provided.
For the Rosa Roxburghii Extract price, contact us at contact@joywinworld.com, or submit your requirement through our website. We are here to serve you at any time!
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