Ashwagandha Extract 2.5–10% Withanolides

Ashwagandha extract starts from the dried root of Withania somnifera, the Indian winter cherry, and the leaf and berry are not part of the starting material. Ethanol extraction concentrates the steroidal lactones of the root, and the liquor is dried to a light brown powder.

The primary grade is 10% withanolides by HPLC, with a 2.5% grade as the lower end of the range. The powder is 80 mesh and slightly soluble in water. The 10% grade serves capsule and tablet formulas that need a small fill weight, while the 2.5% grade suits sticks, gummies and blends in which the root character matters more than potency.

SKU: BOT-STX-0001 Category: Standardized Extracts Tags: Ashwagandha, Bars & Bakery, Ethanol Extracted, Gummies & Chews, Root & Rhizome, Standardized Extracts, Terpenoids

Withanolide Standardization & Grades

Withanolides are ergostane-type steroidal lactones, a family of related compounds that Withania somnifera makes in its roots, leaves and fruit. An extract is standardized to them because they are the chemical family most closely tied to the identity of the plant, and because HPLC can separate and quantify named members of the family. Different organs favor different members, so a withanolide figure only means something once the plant part is fixed, as it is here, to the root. The botanical entity is Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal.

Grade	Assay & Method	Where It Fits
2.5% Withanolides	HPLC	Sticks, gummies and root-led blends
10% Withanolides	HPLC	Capsules and tablets with small fill weight

Grade choice follows dose, fill weight and taste. The 10% grade carries four times the withanolide load per gram of the 2.5% grade, so a capsule formula reaches its target in a smaller fill. The 2.5% grade brings more of the root’s bulk into each gram, which suits sticks and gummies in which the extract is one ingredient among many. Ashwagandha is also supplied as a 10:1 ratio extract with no marker figure, the Ashwagandha Extract Powder, as a milled root, the Ashwagandha Root Powder, and as the purified compound Withanolide A 90–98%. This standardized extract is the row to use whenever a withanolide figure has to appear in the specification.

The percentage on its own does not say which withanolides were counted. Two ashwagandha extracts at the same grade can add up different sets of named members, so buyers who compare quotes should compare the list of quantified compounds before they compare numbers. The 2.5% grade is the choice when a formula needs whole-root character at a high gram weight, and the 10% grade is the choice when the withanolide dose is the design constraint of the ashwagandha extract.

Withanolide Analysis & Purity Risks

Both grades are measured by HPLC, a separation method that resolves individual withanolides on a column and adds up the peaks of the named members against reference standards. This differs from a gravimetric or UV total, which counts every compound that responds in the same way and so tends to give a higher figure for the same material. An HPLC number and a UV number for ashwagandha are therefore not interchangeable, and neither should be converted into the other.

Reference chromatograms of the root show a characteristic pattern of withanolide and withanoside peaks, and that pattern is used as an identity check beside the total. Two chemotypes of the species are described in the literature, one dominated by withaferin A and one by withanolide D. This is a reminder that the total is a sum of different members, and that two lots with the same percentage can differ in composition.

Purity risks follow from the botany. The leaf is far richer in withaferin A than the root, so a root extract differs in identity if leaf or aerial material enters the starting material. An HPLC percentage alone does not show which organ supplied the withanolides. Other species of the genus, such as Withania coagulans, are also traded. A fixed plant part, a stated species and a fingerprint, not a single percentage, are what protect identity.

Sample preparation also shapes the result. The extract is dissolved in an organic solvent, filtered and injected onto a reversed-phase column, and the peaks are identified by retention time against reference compounds. Detection with a photodiode array or an evaporative light scattering detector is described for this family. The choice affects which members are seen, which is one more reason why an ashwagandha HPLC figure must always be tied to its method.

Typical Specifications

Specification Item	Product Information
Latin Name	Withania somnifera
Plant Part	Root & Rhizome
Processing	Ethanol Extraction
Compound Class	Terpenoids
Common Name	Ashwagandha, Indian Winter Cherry
Ingredient Type	Standardized Extract
Marker Compound(s)	Withanolides (steroidal lactones of Withania somnifera)
Primary Grade	10% Withanolides (HPLC)
Available Grades	2.5% · 10% Withanolides (HPLC)
Appearance	Light Brown powder
Solubility / Dispersibility	Slightly Soluble in Water
Quality Parameters
Moisture (LOD)	≤5.0%
Total Ash	≤5.0%
Particle Size	80 mesh
Heavy Metals	Lead ≤2 ppm · Arsenic ≤1 ppm · Cadmium ≤1 ppm · Mercury ≤0.1 ppm
Microbiology	TPC ≤1,000 cfu/g · Yeast & Mold ≤100 cfu/g · E. coli Negative · Salmonella Negative/25 g
Shelf Life	24 months in unopened original packaging, cool and dry storage

Applications by Grade

10% Grade for Compact Capsules

The 10% grade reaches a withanolide target in a small fill, which suits compact capsules and tablets. Ethanol extracts of the root flow better than milled root, though a glidant still helps, and a dry room prevents the resinous solid from sticking in the hopper.

2.5% Grade for Stick Packs

At the lower grade, powder sticks carry the extract at a higher gram weight, which gives the cup a fuller, earthy root taste. Cocoa, malt and spiced chai flavors cover the bitterness, and weight-based dosing keeps each stick uniform.

2.5% Grade Gummy Premixes

Gummies use the lower grade because the extract is added at gram-level doses that a gummy matrix can hide. Add it after the main cook, since long heating darkens the brown color, and choose dark flavors such as cocoa, cola or berry.

10% Grade in Bar Premixes

A higher grade keeps the inclusion small, so the extract disturbs bar texture less. It is blended with the dry ingredients before the syrup is added, which spreads the slightly bitter, resinous solid evenly through the bar. Dark chocolate and nut bases hide the faint bitterness.

10% Grade in Tablet Blends

Tablets of the 10% grade call for a dry binder and a lubricant, because the resinous extract sticks to punches. Run a compression trial on the full blend and check hardness after a week, as the powder draws a little moisture from the air.

2.5% Grade Powder Blends

Dry powder drink blends take the 2.5% grade alongside cocoa, malt or dates. The brown color and earthy taste blend into dark bases, and the extract adds more root character per gram than the 10% grade does. Hot water brings out the earthy note, so a short steep keeps the cup smooth.

Technical & Quality Considerations

The extract is a light brown powder with an earthy odor and a bitter, slightly woody taste. It is slightly soluble in water, so a solution turns hazy with a brown tint, and the resinous fraction wets slowly and floats unless the powder is pre-dispersed. Steroidal lactones can hydrolyze in strong acid or alkali and over long hot holds, so the extract should be added late in any cooking step and kept out of strongly alkaline bases.

For scale-up, sieve the powder, premix it with a small share of the carrier and verify fill weight at each lot change, because bulk density shifts between lots and a capsule fill is set by volume. Tablet formulas need a dry binder and a hardness check after storage. Keep opened drums closed, since a slightly hygroscopic extract cakes in humid rooms, and compare each lot with a retained sample for color and taste. Resinous root extracts smear on metal sieves and hoppers, so clean-down time belongs in the batch schedule, and residue should not carry over into the next product.

Batch sheets for the ashwagandha extract should record the lot, the grade and the date the drum was opened, and the same sheet should note the ashwagandha extract color of every pilot batch.

Packaging & Commercial Supply

Essencefield supports product evaluation, formulation trials, commercial orders, and ongoing ingredient supply. Packaging, storage, and shipping arrangements are determined by product characteristics, order quantity, stability requirements, and destination-market needs.

Supply Item	General Information
Sample	Available upon request for formulation, testing, and supplier evaluation
Order Quantities	100 g · 1 kg · 5 kg · 25 kg · 100 kg · 500 kg · Bulk
Sample Lead Time	Typically 5–7 days after sample confirmation
Production Lead Time	Typically 15–30 days after order and specification confirmation
Packaging	Suitable protective inner packaging with bags, cartons, drums, or other appropriate outer packaging
Storage	Store in tightly sealed, suitable protective packaging in a cool, dry environment. Protect from moisture, heat, and direct sunlight. Specific storage conditions follow the approved product specification.
Documentation	COA · Product Specification · TDS · SDS · Applicable declarations (as applicable)

Final order quantities, lead times, packaging, documentation, and shipping arrangements are confirmed according to the selected product and commercial requirements.