Gemmotherapy studies the embryonic tissues of plants, which contain all the genetic material of the future adult plant: buds, rootlets, and young shoots. To benefit from the benefits of these young plant parts, they are used in the form of bud macerate. They are therefore macerated in a solvent composed of alcohol, water and glycerin. These three ingredients make it possible to extract all the active ingredients from the buds and young shoots. They therefore each have their own interest. There are two main manufacturing methods for bud macerates: 1D glycerinated macerate and concentrated macerate. The concentrated macerate method is much more widely used today, because it is the only one which brings together the three essential ingredients in its solvent. It is also, as its name suggests, much more concentrated. The daily dose to be taken is therefore lower, as is the quantity of alcohol ingested.
1D glycerinated macerate and concentrated macerate: what are the differences?
1D glycerinated macerate
To obtain a 1D glycerinated macerate, several steps are necessary:
1- First of all, you must make the mother macerate. For that, fresh buds are crushed and macerated 1/20th in a solvent composed of 50% glycerin and 50% 90° alcohol, this for 3 weeks.
2- The mother macerate then undergoes a extraction under high pressure (around 100 bars!).
3- Finally, the extract obtained is diluted 1/10th in a mixture composed of 16% water, 34% alcohol and 50% glycerin.
Ultimately, the 1D glycerinated macerate is a very diluted extract, 1/200th in total. This strong dilution implies a dosage of 150 drops per day. This is a homeopathic dilution, it is the Hahnemannian dilution: 1 part of mother macerate is taken and diluted in 9 parts of solvent, then everything is vigorously stirred in order to energize the mixture. This is why glycerinated macerates are qualified as 1D or 1DH, for decimal (proportion of 1 to 10) Hahnemannian!
Concentrated macerate
Concentrated macerate is the most used method today. It also requires several stages for its manufacture which are comparable in all respects to that of 1D glycerinated macerate:
1- First of all, whole fresh buds are macerated 1/20th in a solvent composed of 33% water, 33% alcohol at 90°, and 33% vegetable glycerin, this for 20 days and with constant stirring.
2- The mother macerate is then gravity filtered, then the residues undergo a extraction by gentle pressure so as not to alter the plant extracts.
3- Finally, the filtered and pressed extracts are mixed in order to bring together all the active ingredients extracted, and thus obtain the most complete product possible.
Ultimately, the concentrated macerate is, as its name indicates, 10 times more concentrated than the 1D glycerinated macerate since the mother macerate is not diluted. The use of this solvent, and the absence of dilution thereafter, brings 2 major advantages. First of all, this considerably reduces the unit dosage: 5 to 15 drops per day are sufficient compared to 50 to 150 drops for glycerin macerate. We thus ingest a much smaller quantity of alcohol with concentrated macerates, which makes its use more flexible for sensitive users such as children or pregnant women! Finally, the presence of water in the solvent allows the extraction of water-soluble compounds, and thus makes possible the extraction of a wider range of active ingredients, as we will see later.
Interest in solvents
Using different solvents allows you to extract all the active ingredients from the plant extract. Indeed, these can have different solubilities depending on their chemical composition. We better understand the importance of water in the concentrated macerate solvent! This is considered richer since it allows the extraction of more active ingredients. See instead!
The water, which is only found in the mother macerate of the concentrated macerate, makes it possible to extract the following active ingredients
- trace elements
- tannins
- mineral salts
- water-soluble flavonoids
- water-soluble vitamins
- certain water-soluble acids
- any other water-soluble derivative
L’alcohol has its importance in extracting:
- alkaloids
- glycosides
- glycosides
- certain acids
It also and above all has its importance in preserving the macerate!
There glycerin allows the following compounds to be extracted
- essential oils
- fat-soluble flavonoids
- fat-soluble vitamins
- waxes and gums
- certain fat-soluble acids
It also has a double importance, since it stabilizes the mixture and prevents the deterioration of the molecules.
Bud complexes: a not so complicated story!
Just as there are synergies of essential oils, buds can also combine their actions within the same product to potentiate their effects. We call them complexes. However, there are different forms of complexes.
The first form is quite simple: it is macerate the buds separately, then mix the macerates when putting them in bottles. The potential of the mixture will only be formed when it is conditioned in some way.
The second method is a little more complex, without bad puns. The buds to be combined are directly mixed after harvest, which must be done at the same time, then macerated in the same tank of solvent. Thus, the extraction of the active ingredients from all the buds is done at the same time. This is therefore not a simple addition of different products, but a new product in its own right.
In both cases, the complexes will bring together buds having activities on the same system, so that it is even more active. If such a form was not recommended at the time, it is because Dr Tétau and Dr Henri assumed the existence of interactions between the constituents, which could modify or even alter their properties. However, they were not against combining different bud macerates directly in a glass of water, which also represents a form of complex in the end! Currently, no interactions have been proven or observed, which is why complexes are very common on the market today.
Quality of bud macerates: what are the criteria to respect?
A good bud macerate is above all a macerate which concentrates the benefits of ORGANIC buds. To check it, nothing could be simpler! Concentrated macerates are governed by the regulations for food supplements. They must therefore have the AB logo, and the European Organic Agriculture logo, the one with the green leaf. This guarantees that the product is made up of at least 95% ingredients from organic production. 95%? But there are not as many buds in a concentrated macerate! Yes, it’s because they’re not the only ones to be ORGANIC. If water cannot be, since it is a non-agricultural product, glycerin and alcohol can. And since they represent a large part of the macerate, there is no choice, you need organic!
To maintain the ORGANIC label, specifications must be respected. This notably stipulates the absence of pesticides, GMOs and synthetic chemical fertilizers for the production of ingredients. This is therefore part of the tests carried out on concentrated macerates, once again guaranteeing a safe product.
Finally, the bottles of macerates must mention the general name, the Latin name of the plant, the list of ingredients (which must be reduced to vegetable glycerin, water, alcohol and buds), and the instructions for use, among others.
Making your own bud macerates: it’s possible!
Making bud macerates yourself is not witchcraft... Well, perhaps in the eyes of those who come across you picking buds!
To make a bud macerate, you need buds. So far so good. These are picked from woody plants, that is to say which produce lignin, a macromolecule which gives solidity to the plant. We find a lot of them in wood, for example. We generally harvest the buds at the beginning of spring, this is when they can reveal young shoots, which we also harvest!
The manufacturing process is relatively simple. Indeed, gemmotherapy requires little plant matter, and no specific tools (no still for example!), just a container to put the buds. To best preserve the buds during harvest, do not hesitate to pick with a base of solvent in the containers: a mixture of⅓ spring water, preferably, ⅓ alcohol, and ⅓ glycerin (vegetable, please!). Beforehand, it is also advisable to sterilize all equipment thoroughly in order to limit microbiological risks. After harvest, weigh your plant material then macerate 1 part of buds that you have packed well at the bottom of the container, in 19 parts of solvent. 20 days later, filter your mixture using the finest possible sieve, then transfer your filtrate into amber bottles fitted with droppers or pipettes, then store them at room temperature and in a covered place. light.
As the origin of glycerin can sometimes be confusing, since it is not always specified, and glycerin can cause digestive disorders, some bibliographic sources suggest using honey instead. or agave syrup, the origin of which is easier to verify.
In short, making your own buds may seem simple, but the hardest part is choosing quality raw materials. Indeed, if everyone is allowed to go and harvest vine buds in the next field, there is no guarantee that it has not been treated with chemicals. Buying your macerates guarantees you an ORGANIC product, made from quality raw materials.
Young shoots or buds?
We can ask ourselves the question: should we pick the young shoots or the buds? It is mainly a question of practicality. Young shoots are preferred for species whose buds are particularly small, or for conifers with small, stinging needles! For all other species, we will rather choose the buds. Be careful, however, not to attack all the buds of the same tree, and not to pick intensively, nature offers you its treasures, respect it ;)
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Bibliography
Work : Piterà di Clima, F., & Nicoletti, M. (2018). Summary of gemmotherapy - Scientific foundations of Meristemotherapy. Amyris Editions.
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Work : Ledoux, F., & Guéniot, G. (2014). Phytembryotherapy: The embryo of gemmotherapy. Amyris Editions.
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