Saw Palmetto Extract

Saw Palmetto Extract is obtained from the ripe fruits of Serenoa repens (W. Bartram) Small, belonging to the Arecaceae family. The fruit contains a characteristic lipophilic fraction consisting predominantly of fatty acids and their esters, together with smaller quantities of phytosterols, carotenoids, tocopherols and long-chain alcohols.

Among the fatty acids, lauric acid and oleic acid are prominent constituents, together with myristic, palmitic, caprylic, capric, stearic, linoleic and linolenic acids. The phytosterol fraction includes β-sitosterol, campesterol and stigmasterol.

For standardized commercial material, Total Fatty Acids is the most useful primary specification. Established saw-palmetto extract specifications include 85–95% total fatty acids, while other powder grades may be offered at 25%, 40%, 45% or other defined fatty-acid levels. Therefore, the exact active percentage should always correspond to the selected commercial grade and its COA.

Saw Palmetto Extract is particularly relevant to hair-care and scalp-care formulations. Topical studies have investigated Serenoa repens preparations in hair-thinning applications, and a 2026 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study reported improved hair-count and hair-density endpoints with a proprietary saw-palmetto bioactive fatty-acid extract.