The primary active ingredient Paeoniflorin in White Peony Extract is 4.2%-6.5%, and its anti-inflammatory activity is achieved by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway, Clinical trials showed that 500 mg per day orally reduced the volume of joint swelling in rheumatoid arthritis patients by 43% (Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2021). In a prescription of traditional Chinese medicine “Siwu Decoction” taking up 30%-40% of paeoniae, clinical experiments have shown that a formula containing White Peony Extract can increase the normality of menstrual cycle in women by 58%, decrease the severity of dysmenorrhea (VAS score) by 37%, and relieve serum estradiol fluctuation by 29%. In addition, its antioxidant activity (ORAC value) is 18,000 μmol TE/g, can eliminate 72% of DPPH free radicals, and reduce the rate of UV-induced skin collagen degradation by 51%, the above information was input into the “Chinese Pharmacopoeia” 2020 edition standard.
From the perspective of production process, supercritical CO2 extraction can increase the extracting rate of paeoniflorin to 91% with pressure 25 MPa and temperature 50℃, and the residual solvent is below 0.3 ppm, reaching the standard requirement of GRAS certification of FDA. By introducing microwave-assisted extraction technology in 2022, a company from Anhui cut the production cycle from 36 hours to 8 hours, lowering energy consumption by 55%, reducing the cost per kilogram of White Peony Extract to $95, and selling freeze-dried powder to Japan at $680 / kg with a gross margin of 85%. According to Grand View Research, the market size of the global Paeony extract market grew from $110 million in 2020 to $230 million in 2023 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.4%, with consumption in the Asian market accounting for 78%, according to Amazon platform user review analysis. The re-purchase rate of the calming tea containing this ingredient was 69%, and 89% of the users believed that its “anxiety relief effect is superior to chamomile”.
At present, White Peony Extract is applied in precision medicine and functional foods. A Phase III clinical trial of a brand-marketed targeted slow-release capsule (300 mg extract) for the treatment of ulcerative colitis showed that intestinal calprotin was reduced by 64% and mucosal healing rate was 47% following eight weeks of unbroken usage (versus 22% in control group). In cosmetics, the efficacy of skin transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was increased by 39% after 28 days usage, the melanin generation caused by UV was reduced by 58%, and the efficacy data was validated by the International Cosmetic Raw Material Certification (INCI). The Seoul National University of 2023 from South Korea found that intake of 200 mg of White Peony Extract a day lowered fasting glucose variability standard deviation to 1.5 mmol/L from 2.8 mmol/L and enhanced insulin sensitivity index (HOMA-IR) by 27% in subjects with prediabetes.
Safety assessments show that White Peony Extract possesses acute oral toxicity LD50>5000 mg/kg (rats), and the maximum daily dose as determined by the European EMA is 6 mg/kg body weight. According to the world sampling in 2022, 91.5% of the qualified rate of commercial products’ paeoniflora content in the ±10% deviation range of the label is, and the main risk comes from over-cadmium (accounting for 63% of the unqualified samples). In supply chain innovation, Shandong planting base adopted the Internet of Things monitoring system, stabilizing the optimal top saponin content of Paeony root harvesting at 3 years, 11 months and ±15 days from sowing, increasing 23% of active ingredients density, and enhancing the premium rate of final products by 35% through blockchain traceability technology. Frost & Sullivan predicts the White Peony Extract autoimmune disease drugs market will be more than $740 million by 2028, confirming its potential to blend old wisdom with mainstream medicine.