How to Extract Chlorophyll

Why "Preserve the Green"?

 

Chlorophyll is the most abundant natural pigment on Earth, with over 1.2 billion tons biosynthesized annually [4]. It gives plants their vibrant green color and possesses potential physiological functions such as antioxidant, deodorizing, and liver protection [5][8]. However, natural chlorophyll is extremely sensitive to light, heat, and acid, and easily fades and degrades during food processing, limiting its direct application. Sodium Copper Chlorophyllin Powder (SCC), produced through a "copper substitution-salt formation" process, not only has excellent water solubility and bright color, but is also approved as a safe food additive by FAO/WHO and GB2760, and is widely used in beverages, candies, ice cream, canned fruits and vegetables, and other products [1][9].

 

Core Steps of Chlorophyll powder Extraction

 

Based on domestic and international industrial practices, the process "from green leaves to high-purity SCC" can be divided into 5 key steps [2][3][12]:

1. Raw Material Pretreatment

♦ Material selection: Silkworm feces, spinach, mulberry leaves, or spirulina are required, with high chlorophyll content and low pesticide residues.

♦ Washing → Low-temperature (≤60 ℃) drying → Grinding to 40-60 mesh to reduce metal ion and dust contamination.

 

2. Primary Extraction

♦ Solvent: 90% food-grade ethanol, safe, non-toxic, and with high recovery rate.

♦ Parameters: Material-to-solvent ratio 1:12, 60 ℃ stirring for 2 h × 2 times; protected from light and under nitrogen atmosphere, extraction rate ≥80%.

Auxiliary technology: Ultrasonic (40 kHz) or microwave (300 W) can shorten the time by 30% and increase the yield [2].

 

3. Saponification and Demagnesiation

♦ Add 5% NaOH-ethanol solution, adjust pH to 10-11, react at 50 ℃ for 1 h.

♦ Objective: To hydrolyze the phytol and methyl ester of chlorophyll, simultaneously removing the central Mg²⁺ to produce water-soluble sodium chlorophyllin, thus opening up the chelation site for subsequent copper substitution [3].

 

4. Copper Substitution Reaction (Key Control Point)

♦ Slowly add 5% copper sulfate at a copper/porphyrin molar ratio of 1.2:1, and react at 60 ℃ and pH 3-4 for 2 hours.

Copper ions coordinate with the porphyrin ring, forming a stable green copper complex. The copper substitution rate is ≥95%, and free copper is ≤0.001% [3].

♦ After chelation is complete, extract with ethyl acetate to remove lipid-soluble impurities, and then purify with macroporous resin. The product purity can reach 98%.

 

5. Concentration and Drying

♦ Concentrate under vacuum to 1/5 of the original volume, spray dry (inlet air 180 ℃, outlet air 80 ℃) under nitrogen protection. Moisture content ≤5%, E₁%₁cm(405 nm) ≥560 [3][12].

♦ The finished Sodium Copper Chlorophyllin product is a dark green powder, which becomes a clear blue-green solution when dissolved in water, with no precipitation and no peculiar odor.

 

Functional Role of SCC in Food

 

1. Coloring – "The Emerald Feel of a Beverage"

With maximum absorption peaks at 405 nm and 630 nm, a small amount of addition (0.01-0.2%) can present a natural emerald green color. It can be combined with other natural pigments (curcumin, anthocyanins) to create layered colors such as matcha green and olive green [5][6].

 

2. Antioxidant – "Invisible Preservative"

The antioxidant activity of SCC is about 2-3 times that of vitamin E. It can scavenge free radicals and inhibit lipid peroxidation, extending the shelf life of lipid-containing products such as fruit juices and ice cream [5][8].

 

3. Functionality – "Green Enhancement"

Recent studies have shown that daily intake of 100 mg of chlorophyll derivatives can alleviate oxidative stress and intestinal flora imbalance induced by a high-fat diet [4]. SCC, as a source of dietary supplements, is increasingly being used in functional candies and ready-to-drink fruit and vegetable juices.

 

4. Regulatory Safety

JECFA has established an ADI of 0-15 mg/kg·bw. my country's GB2760 clearly permits its use in frozen beverages, fruit and vegetable juices, candies, baked goods, canned vegetables, etc., with a maximum usage of 0.5-1.0 g/kg, indicating a high safety margin [1][9][12].

 

How to move from "laboratory green" to "industrialized green"?

 

High-vacuum molecular distillation, microencapsulation, and acid-resistant modification are the three main directions for current industrial upgrading:

♦ Molecular distillation can achieve short-path separation of heat-sensitive components under conditions of 0.1-1 Pa and ≤120 ℃, removing free fatty acids and solvent residues, and improving color fastness [2].

♦ Microencapsulation (chitosan, gum arabic wall materials) allows SCC to maintain a 90% retention rate at pH below 3.0, making it suitable for carbonated beverages and yogurt [14].

♦ Acid-resistant coated SCC shows a color difference ΔE≤1.5 after short-term sterilization at 105 ℃, meeting the requirements of ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization (UHT) processes.

 

Why choose SOST Biotech Chlorophyll powder?

 

1. Origin and Scale

The company is located in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, adjacent to the largest mulberry leaf and silkworm excrement planting base in China. It processes 3,000 tons of green leaf raw materials annually and can stably supply 100 tons/year of 95% grade SCC.

 

2. Quality and Certification

Complies with GB3262-82, USP40, and JP18 pharmacopoeia standards;

Absorbance E₁%₁cm(405 nm) ≥568, free copper ≤200 ppm, heavy metals ≤10 ppm;

HACCP, ISO22000, HALAL, and KOSHER dual certifications are available, and COA, MSDS, and third-party SGS reports can be provided.

 

3. Flexible Specifications

Standard: Dark green powder, 95% (HPLC); Customized: Acid-resistant type, water-soluble type, microencapsulated type, and E1% 568 high color value type; Packaging: 1 kg/aluminum foil bag × 20/carton, 25 kg/paper drum, with double-layer PE liner.

 

4. Application Support

Equipped with a food R&D laboratory, we can assist customers in color matching, accelerated stability testing, and regulatory label review, providing a one-stop solution for technical challenges "from raw materials to market launch."

 

5. Global Logistics

Long-term contracts with DHL, FedEx, and MSC; ambient/refrigerated dual channels; exporting to over 40 countries in Europe, America, and Southeast Asia; average delivery time to port is 7-10 days; supporting FOB, CIF, and FCA trade terms.

 

Contact Us – Sodium Copper Chlorophyllin Powder supplier

 

Website: www.sostherb.com (Chinese and English)

Email: info@sostherbusa.com

 

Xi'an SOST Biotech – Your trusted partner for natural pigments and plant extracts.

 

References

[1] ChemicalBook. Chlorophyll Copper Sodium Salt: Structure, Properties and Applications. 2025.

[2] Instrument Information Network. Extraction Process and Methods of Chlorophyll. 2025.

[3] CPHI Pharmaceutical Online. How to Optimize the Preparation Process of Chlorophyll Copper Sodium Salt? 2025.

[4] The 12th International Conference on Food Science. Professor Zhang Yan: Development and Application of Chlorophyll. 2025.

[5] Plant Extract Product Encyclopedia. Liver Protection, Coloring, Antioxidant – The Multifaceted Charm of Chlorophyll Copper Sodium Salt. 2025.

[6] West China Tianfu Hospital of Sichuan University. Still worried about the pigments in colorful foods? 2025.

[7] Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Industry. Detection of Sodium Copper Chlorophyllin in Food Additives. 2025.

[8] Baidu Health. What are the functions of extracted chlorophyll? 2025.

[9] Baidu Encyclopedia. Sodium Copper Chlorophyllin. 2025.

[10] Yangzhou Chemical Co., Ltd. Application of Plant Extracts in Natural Pigments. 2025.

[11] FAO JECFA. Monograph 1-Additive 127-Sodium Copper Chlorophyllin. 2022.

[12] Hubei Provincial Library. Overview of Food Additives. 2021.

[13] Zxchem. Sodium Copper Chlorophyllin TDS. 2022.

[14] Hangzhou Zhongda. Sodium Copper Chlorophyllin Product Catalog. 2025.