Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue: Research Report of Chinese Blueberry Extract Market, 2009-2010
http://www.reportlinker.com/p0147920/Research-Report-of-Chinese-Blueberry-Extract-Market-2009-2010.html
Bilberries or blueberries are the flowering plants of Ericaceae Vaccinium. They mainly grow in Europe, Russia, North America and the Alps. There are more than 400 kinds of blueberries in the world and over 200 kinds in China. Their fruits have rich nutrition. Praised as golden berries, blueberries are regarded as one of the five major healthy foods for human beings by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO. They are regarded as magic berries by Prevention, American most influential magazine. According to the statistics of American Tufts University, among the 60 vegetables and fruits with the antioxidant effect, blueberries rank the first. OPC (Oligomeric Proantho Cyanidins), Organogermanium, Organic Selenium, Arbutin, amino acid, tartaric acid and other special nutrition contained in blueberries are incomparable. Especially blueberries' OPC, composed of 16 Bioflavonoids, have a superior physical activity to OPC contained in general plants.
The related research proved that OPC contained in blueberries have a comparatively strong antioxidant effect. Eating blueberries for a long time can help clear the toxic chemicals and free radicals in retina; promote the generation of retinal anthapurpurin; improve the night vision capability; help eyes adapt the change of strong and weak light; maintain eyesight; strengthen capillary; improve the blood circulation; decrease the viscosity of blood platelets; prevent blood clots; strengthen the heart and brain function.
Among all the oligomeric proantho cyanidins (OPC) in plants, bilberry extract has best effects, widest applications, lowest side effects, and also the highest price. In the global market, the price of bilberry extract (OPC 25%) is several times the price of grape seed extract (OPC 95%), reflecting the superiorities of bilberry extract
In Chinese market, bilberry extract is divided into European bilberry extract and Chinese bilberry extract, which have both adopted the European pharmaceutical product standard (OPC 25%). A few enterprises also produce other bilberry extract products (OPC 10% and 15%).
As it has more OPC categories (15 or more), the clinical effects of European bilberry extract are better than Chinese bilberry extract (3 – 5 OPC categories) and the price is several times that of Chinese bilberry extract
At present, raw materials of Chinese bilberries are imported and home-made. Imported bilberries are produced in Finland, Sweden in Northern Europe and Russia. The prices are between 3,000 EUR/ton and 4,000 EUR/ton. Home-made raw materials are produced in Northeast China and Shaanxi. The purchasing prices of fresh fruits are between 1,500 RMB/ton and 18,000 RMB/ton and the prices fluctuate based on the supply and demand situations yearly. Chinese domestic raw materials come from wild bilberries gathered artificially and few people plant bilberries in China. Vaccinium uliginosum and vaccinium vitis-idaea are concentrated in forests of Great Xing'an Mountains in Northeast China, accounting for 80% to 90% of Chinese total bilberry outputs.