Start with the material identity
A plant extract is a preparation obtained by transferring selected constituents from botanical material into a suitable medium, often followed by separation or concentration. The botanical species, plant part and preparation matter: a leaf water extract is not interchangeable with a seed oil or a whole-plant powder. Extraction changes the composition presented to the next manufacturing step; it does not turn a botanical name into a complete specification.
Classify on more than one axis
Describe the starting material, extraction medium, physical form and compositional control separately. Liquid, soft and dry extracts describe physical form. Water or hydroalcoholic extraction describes a process choice. A marker assay describes a measurement. None of these independently establishes safety, efficacy or eligibility for a food, supplement or cosmetic use.
Read the documents together
A useful comparison pairs the technical data sheet with the manufacturing summary and a batch-specific certificate of analysis. Ask whether carriers are included, how results are expressed, and which identity method is used. If two materials have the same headline ratio but different plant parts, solvents or test methods, treat them as different candidates until equivalence is demonstrated.