Shikimic Acid Powder for Pharmaceutical Intermediate Research

Shikimic Acid Powder is a white crystalline chiral compound (CAS 138-59-0) that pharmaceutical teams use as a starting material for research and synthesis, most famously for the antiviral drug oseltamivir. For intermediate research, the best choice is a high-purity grade of 98% to 99%, with a clean impurity profile, steady batch quality, and full documentation. At Yanxi Herbs, we supply Shikimic Acid Powder extracted from star anise. This guide covers its properties, comparisons, sourcing, production, and market direction so you can judge a supplier with confidence.

Understanding Shikimic Acid Powder: Properties and Benefits

Chemical Structure and Natural Source

Shikimic acid is made up of molecules that are C7H10O5 and weigh about 174 g/mol. Its full name is (3R,4S,5R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-1-cyclohexene-1-carboxylic acid. The ring has one carboxylic acid group and three hydroxyl groups. Because it has three clear stereocenters, it is a useful chiral building block. Aryl amino acids are made in the shikimate pathway. This pathway is used by both microbes and plants. The fruit of the Illicium verum plant is the best plant source for star anise. This is where our powder comes from. There are 18 grams of solid in 100 milliliters of water at 25°C, and it melts between 185°C and 191°C. The ethanol doesn't break it down very well.

Role as a Pharmaceutical Intermediate

The most well-known use of Shikimic Acid Powderis to make oseltamivir phosphate, which is what Tamiflu is mostly made of. Chemists at Gilead Sciences put out a helpful guide on how to make the chemical in 1998. At the time, it was called GS-4104. There were ways to get both quinic acid and shikimic acid in the paper. It is easy to see why: the atoms in shikimic acid are already in the right order in three dimensions, so scientists don't have to start from scratch to make those stereocenters. That saves time and steps. Other than that, it is used to start the chiral process of making new chemicals and as a standard in research on the shikimate pathway. Your answer data will be the same from one test to the next if you use a steady middle number.

Safety, Handling, and Storage

This is Shikimic Acid Powder, a mild organic acid. However, you should still handle any fine powder with care. I suggest that you wear gloves, safety glasses, a dust mask, and make sure there is enough airflow in the area while you weigh. Dust can irritate the eyes, skin, and airways. Read the safety sheet before you touch anything. Do not put the powder near water or strong oxidizers. Instead, keep it in its original, sealed container in a cool, dry place. Our Shikimic Acid Powder can last for 24 months if it is stored correctly and sealed properly. Your team can pick the right pack size for work in the lab, on a test project, or in production. It comes in 1 kg bags, 5 kg boxes, and 25 kg drums.

Comparing Shikimic Acid Powder with Related Compounds for Pharmaceutical Use

Shikimic Acid vs. Quinic Acid and Ascorbic Acid

There is a link between it and quinic acid (C7H12O6). Cinchona bark and coffee beans both have it. The ring is full, with four hydroxyl groups and no double bonds. There is one double bond and three hydroxyl groups in this acid. Because of this, the Gilead study from 1998 talks about a different way to get from each acid. There is no structural link between it and ascorbic acid (C6H8O6), which is also known as vitamin C. It's not used as a building block for cyclohexene because it is a lactone that is known to be an antioxidant. The ring, the double bond, and the stereochemistry are all in one molecule of shikimic acid, which makes it easy to study.

Plant Extraction, Fermentation, and Chemical Synthesis

Most of the time, buyers can get what they want in three ways. The ingredient in our product comes straight from the star anise plant, which is how it works. In microbial fermentation, bacteria that have been modified are used. A report about an E. coli strain that was used to make shikimic acid came out in Metabolic Engineering in 2003. Full chemical synthesis can be done in the lab, but it takes a long time and a lot of steps. Because of this, most chemicals you can buy in shops have already been separated or fermented. Each way has its own pros and cons. The process depends on the crop and the weather, but the name of the product comes from plants. We can depend less on crops when we ferment food, but it's important to keep process impurities under tight control. Take a look at more than just the name, no matter what path you choose. Check the purity, impurity profile, and paperwork as well.

Powder Versus Liquid Forms

Shikimic Acid Powder is often used in manufacturing, and there are good reasons for this. You don't have to pay to move the water because a dry solid mass is lighter than water. Microbes can't grow in it as well as they could in a water-based product, which would need to be kept cold or treated with chemicals. Powder makes it easy to get the right weight for things, so your team can set the right molar ratios for answering. Shikimic acid breaks down in 100 milliliters of water, which is about 18 grams. In other words, you can still make a liquid stock on-site if a process needs one. Our powder goes through an 80-mesh sieve, which makes it easy to move and mix.

Procurement Insights: How to Choose and Source Quality Shikimic Acid Powder

Certifications and Documents to Request

Begin with the paper. Ask each supplier to show you a list of specifics, a certificate of analysis, and other proof that their facility is safe. We sellShikimic Acid Powderthat is marked as ISO, HACCP, FDA, Kosher, and Halal. Remember that when a place is registered with the FDA, it means that it is on their list. It doesn't mean the FDA likes the product. Before you start working on your project, make sure you read the FDA's ICH Q7 advice and let your seller know right away which standard needs to be followed. Also, find out if you can track. We keep track of our star anise from the time it is picked until it is packed up. We also test it for pesticides so that your quality team can see where each lot came from.

Specifications, Pricing, and Logistics

A lot of people look at prices per kilogram, but the best deal might not show you the whole risk. Read the whole list of specs before you buy. We have grades that are 98% and 99%, and they look like white crystals. It has less than 5% ash, heavy metals, the stuff that was lost when it dried, yeast, and mold. Also, there are less than 1,000 cfu/g of plates. When you ask for a price, be sure to say how much you need every year, since the cost changes based on grade, amount, and packaging. We have the item in stock, and we'll send it out one to three business days after you pay. People in the US can plan ahead better for wait times because we have stores in both Europe and the US.

Samples and Custom Packaging

Before you buy a lot of it, look at the material. That way, your R&D team can do an HPLC test, check the optical rotation, and use the material in their own reaction without having to pay for it. Read our proof of research and then compare it to what we found. If the numbers add up and the response works well, it's much safer to go to production. Then, find out about the different kinds of packs. Most of the time, we offer 1 kg bags, 5 kg boxes, and 25 kg drums. If you need, we can talk about how to package and describe things so they work better with your process. They can also ask for a long-term supply plan, which makes it easy for everyone to plan ahead and make orders.

Extraction and Production: From Star Anise to High-Purity Powder

Traditional and Modern Extraction Methods

Since dried star anise fruit has a small amount of shikimic acid in it, the method used to get it out must be good. There is a review article from 2012 in the Journal of Chemical Biology that lays out the steps. To get the ground fruit out, the makers use water or a mix of booze and water. Afterward, the colors and other chemicals are removed. The extract is cleaned with ion-exchange or another type of filtration, and the acid is frozen. To get a better yield, researchers have also tried using ultrasound and pressure to help the extraction process. After that, it turns into crystals and dries, leaving behind an 80-mesh white powder. Because we decide where the raw materials come from and how they are made, we can be sure that every batch is the same.

Quality Control and Testing

There is quality control all the way from the field to the drum. First, we look at the star anise that comes in. First, we check the final powder against the standards for appearance, particle size, loss during drying, ash, heavy metals, total plate count, yeast, and mold. The standards are 98% or 99%. Along with that, we look for traces of chemicals. Make sure that each lot has an analysis certificate so that your quality manager can look it over. The ways we do things are in line with ISO 22000 and HACCP, and SGS has approved us. Consistency is important in synthesis because impurities can move on to later steps, which makes it harder to clean up. Work that comes after having strict standards at the start is more likely to be good.

A Supply Lesson from Oseltamivir History

We can learn something from the past. In the middle of the 2000s, as worries about bird flu grew, so did the need for oseltamivir. Some people also said that star anise, which was the main source of Shikimic Acid Powderon the market, was having trouble getting enough. They have also come up with fermentation methods, like the E. coli work that was reported in Metabolic Engineering in 2003, to make it easier to get supplies. Buyers can use the tip right now. Your schedule will be safe if you plan your supply chain, and your yield will be safe if you are pure. If buyers have proof that they have the materials they need in stock and a backup plan, they can keep their research and scale-up plans on track even if demand goes up.

Future Trends and Market Outlook for Shikimic Acid Powder in Pharmaceutical Research

Emerging Research Beyond Antiviral Drugs

Scientists are interested in Shikimic Acid Powder for more reasons than just its virus-killing power. The Annual Review of Plant Physiology and Plant Molecular Biology said in 1999 that animals do not have the shikimate system. Bugs, fungi, plants, and some parasites all have it. So, pathway enzymes are a good area to study when it comes to killing microbes, and shikimic acid, a natural substance, is used as a reference in these studies. The chiral ring is used to make new molecular scaffolds by chemists who work with drugs. Since these are still just ideas, procurement teams should expect discovery groups to place lots of small orders on a regular basis, along with process teams' larger lots.

Demand Patterns and Supply Chain Dynamics

Shikimic acid needs change every year based on the flu and plans for an outbreak. The weather and harvest size can change the amount of star anise that is available and the price. It is mostly grown in southern China and northern Vietnam. Adding another source can even out swings for fermented makers, but it costs more and raises safety concerns. For buyers, this means that prices may change from one season to the next. If you want to know how suppliers handle changes in the harvest and how much stock they have, you should ask them before demand peaks, not after. Answers that are clear right away show who plans ahead.

Building a Steady Supply Chain

The supply chain works well because of three habits. Let your seller know what you think will happen first. This will help them figure out when to buy raw materials. Second, make sure that more than one source is reliable, or keep extra sources on hand in case you need them for big projects. Third, always write down the plans and ways of checking so that each batch meets the same standard. The company we run has sent goods to more than 100 countries and regions since it began in 2010. We always have Shikimic Acid Powder in stock, and it has approvals from ISO, HACCP, and the FDA, and is Kosher and Halal. We also help with local storage in the US and Europe. This setup makes things easy for U.S. teams and gives them short lead times.

Conclusion

The chemical formula forShikimic Acid Powderis C7H10O5. It is used to help make intermediates in drug studies, especially oseltamivir. Liquid solutions, quinic acid, and this one are not the same because it has three clear stereocenters, dissolves in water, and stays stable as a powder. You can get supply by extracting star anise, fermenting it, or making chemicals from it. It is important to check the purity, impurity profile, and papers for each method very carefully. To source well, you need to have clear specs, up-to-date certificates, the ability to track products, and the chance to try samples before making big orders. Quantity checks for heavy metals, moisture, ash, and microbes mean that lots stay the same. In this way, reaction yields are kept safe. Customers can better handle changes in supply and price if they plan ahead and write down what they need. This is because demand changes based on things like flu activity and star anise harvests.

FAQ

What purity do I need for pharmaceutical intermediate research?

Most study and process work starts with getting an HPLC test score of 98% or higher. We give grades between 98% and 99%. Pick the better grade if your route is sensitive to dirt. So, look at the proof of analysis and compare it to the answer.

Which certificates should I request from a supplier?

Ask for ISO, HACCP, FDA registration, Kosher, and Halal licensing, as well as a certificate of analysis and proof that the food was tracked. If your project follows GMP for medicine-making materials, you should say so right away.

Is plant-extracted or synthetic shikimic acid better?

In every case, neither side wins. On a big scale, full chemical synthesis isn't used very often. There is a record of when our powder was picked and when it was packed. It comes from star anise. You can compare numbers about the clarity, impurity, and dependability of any source.

Can I get a free sample?

It is possible to get samples for free. We have the item in stock, and we'll send it out one to three business days after you pay.

Request Shikimic Acid Powder for Your Pharmaceutical Intermediate Research

Want to buy Shikimic Acid Powder from a business that ships quickly, lets you try it for free, and has grades of 98% and 99%? Yanxi Herbs always has stock, and they can show proof with copies of their ISO, HACCP, FDA, Kosher, and Halal records. We also help people in the U.S. by storing their goods here in the U.S. You may email info@yanxiherbs.com with the amount and specifics you need, or you may go to yanxiherbs.com right now to get a sample and a price.

References

1. Journal of Organic Chemistry, 1998. "Practical Total Synthesis of the Anti-Influenza Drug GS-4104."

2. Annual Review of Plant Physiology and Plant Molecular Biology, 1999. "The Shikimate Pathway."

3. Metabolic Engineering, 2003. "Metabolic Engineering for Microbial Production of Shikimic Acid."

4. Journal of Chemical Biology, 2012. "Shikimic Acid: Review of Its Analytical, Isolation, and Purification Techniques from Plant and Microbial Sources."

5. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2016. "Q7 Good Manufacturing Practice Guidance for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients."

6. PubChem, National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2024. "Shikimic Acid Compound Summary."