Learn what makes Bergamonte® different, from its Calabrian Citrus bergamia source and standardized polyphenol profile to its patented extraction technology and formulation potential.
Bergamot (Citrus bergamia Risso) is a citrus plant that grows almost exclusively in the narrow coastal Calabria region in southern Italy, due to sensitivity to the weather and soil conditions. Bergamot juice was traditionally recognized by the local population as a remedy for supporting healthy cholesterol level and cardiovascular health. The medicinal use of bergamot, forgotten for decades, is now being rediscovered.
The juice and albedo of bergamot has a unique profile of flavonoid and glycosides, such as neoeriocitrin, neohesperidin, naringin, rutin, neodesmin, rhoifolin and poncirin. Naringin have been shown to be beneficial in animal models of atherosclerosis, while neoeriocitrin and rutin have been found to exhibit a strong capacity to prevent LDL from oxidation. Importantly, bergamot juice is rich in brutieridine and melitidine with an ability to inhibit HMG-CoA reductase.
Bergamot has a particularly strong botanical and agricultural connection to Calabria, the narrow southern Italian coastal region historically associated with commercial cultivation of Citrus bergamia. The fruit is sensitive to growing conditions, making geography an important part of its identity and provenance.
For ingredient developers, origin is more than a marketing story. Confirming the botanical species and source provides an important foundation for ingredient identity, traceability, compositional consistency, and ultimately the ability to connect a finished ingredient with the research performed on authentic bergamot.
Total polyphenol content describes the overall concentration of a broad chemical class, but it does not tell a formulator which individual compounds are present or in what proportions. Two extracts can therefore carry similar total-polyphenol claims while having very different flavonoid profiles.
Bergamonte® goes further by defining the specific flavanones within the ingredient. For example, BPF® 38 is specified to 38% flavanones and 70% total polyphenols, while BPF® Gold is specified to 47% flavanones and 80% total polyphenols. The five-flavanone profile includes neoeriocitrin, naringin, neohesperidin, melitidin, and brutieridin.
Citrus Bergamot differs from C. Aurantium because Citrus Bergamot does not contain synepherine, N-methyltyramine, and octopamine, which have been shown in research to constrict arteries, increase blood pressure, increase heart rate, cause heart-rhythm disorders, heart attack, and stroke.
Citrus Bergamot contains melitidin and brutieridin which are absent in C. Aurantium. Research has shown that these compounds significantly support healthy total cholesterol LDL, triglycerides and blood glucose levels, while increasing HDL.
The terms citrus bergamot, BPF®, and Bergamonte® are related, but they describe different parts of the ingredient story. Understanding the distinction makes it easier to evaluate research, specifications, and portfolio options.
For formulators, botanical identity is the foundation for consistency, substantiation and finished-product quality. A clearly defined species, plant part, geographic source and standardized phytochemical profile help ensure the ingredient used in production aligns with specifications and supporting research, while improving lot-to-lot consistency and giving R&D, quality and regulatory teams greater confidence from development through commercialization.
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