Cordyceps Militaris Extract 0.5–20% Cordycepin

Cordyceps militaris extract starts from the orange, club-shaped fruiting body of the fungus, and not from the grain-based culture it grows on or from the insect host. Ethanol extraction concentrates the nucleosides of the fruiting body, and the liquor is dried to a light brown powder.

The primary grade is 20% cordycepin by HPLC, with a 0.5% grade as the lower end of the range. The powder is 80 mesh and slightly soluble in water. The 20% grade serves capsule and tablet formulas that need a small fill weight, while the 0.5% grade suits sticks, gummies and mushroom blends in which the fruiting body character matters more than potency.

SKU: BOT-STX-0007 Category: Standardized Extracts Tags: Cordyceps, Dry Blends & Premixes, Ethanol Extracted, Gummies & Chews, Mushroom & Fungi, Standardized Extracts

Cordycepin Standardization & Grades

Cordycepin is 3′-deoxyadenosine, a nucleoside that differs from adenosine by a single missing oxygen on the sugar ring. It is the standardization target because it is the best-known nucleoside of Cordyceps militaris and because HPLC separates it cleanly from adenosine and other nucleosides. The botanical entity is Cordyceps militaris (L.) Fr., and the part used is the fruiting body only, not the mycelium, the culture substrate or the insect.

Grade	Assay & Method	Where It Fits
0.5% Cordycepin	HPLC	Sticks, gummies and mushroom blends
20% Cordycepin	HPLC	Capsules and tablets with small fill weight

Grade choice follows dose and fill weight. The 20% grade holds forty times the cordycepin of the 0.5% grade per gram, so a capsule formula reaches its target in a very small fill. The 0.5% grade is a bulkier, more mushroom-like solid that is easier to meter into sticks and to flavor. Cordyceps is also supplied as a 10:1 ratio extract with no marker figure, the Cordyceps Extract Powder. A milled mushroom, the Cordyceps Mushroom Powder, and the purified compound Cordycepin complete the set. The percentage alone does not say what else the powder contains, so buyers comparing quotes should also compare the part and the source material.

A cordycepin percentage depends on what else is in the powder. In cultivated Cordyceps militaris, the fruiting body and the grain-based substrate both contain nucleosides, so an extract made from the whole culture can report a different figure from one made from the fruiting body alone. The 0.5% grade is the choice when a formula wants the whole Cordyceps militaris extract character at a high gram weight, and the 20% grade is the choice when the cordycepin dose is the design constraint.

Cordycepin Analysis & Purity Risks

Both grades are measured by HPLC. The extract is dissolved in a polar solvent, filtered and injected onto a reversed-phase column, and cordycepin is identified by retention time and UV spectrum against a reference standard. The key analytical issue is separation: cordycepin elutes close to adenosine, which the fungus also makes in quantity, so a method without adequate resolution can report one nucleoside as the other. An HPLC figure for cordycepin is not interchangeable with a total nucleoside figure, and neither should be converted into the other.

The nucleoside pattern is part of the fingerprint. A chromatogram of the fruiting body shows adenosine, uridine and related nucleosides beside cordycepin, and the relative heights say more about the material than a single percentage. Cordycepin is also a substrate for adenosine deaminase, which is why it is handled as a delicate molecule and stored cool and dry.

Purity risks follow from the biology. Cordyceps militaris is not the wild Himalayan caterpillar fungus, Ophiocordyceps sinensis, which belongs to another genus and family. Commercial C. militaris is grown on grain or insect-pupa media, so mycelium-and-substrate powders, fruiting body powders and extracts are three different materials, and reported cordycepin levels vary widely between studies. A fixed plant part, a stated species and a chromatographic fingerprint protect identity better than a percentage alone.

Method details matter for a labile nucleoside. The mobile phase is buffered to keep retention reproducible, the sample is protected from heat during preparation, and a bracketing standard is injected between samples to detect drift. A cordycepin standard is often checked against adenosine in the same run, since a pair of closely eluting peaks is the main source of misreading. These controls explain why two laboratories may report different figures for the same Cordyceps militaris extract if their conditions differ.

Typical Specifications

Specification Item	Product Information
Latin Name	Cordyceps militaris
Plant Part	Mushroom & Fungi
Processing	Ethanol Extraction
Common Name	Cordyceps militaris, Orange Caterpillar Fungus
Ingredient Type	Standardized Extract
Marker Compound(s)	Cordycepin (3′-deoxyadenosine)
Primary Grade	20% Cordycepin (HPLC)
Available Grades	0.5% · 20% Cordycepin (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

20% Grade for Compact Capsules

The 20% grade reaches a cordycepin target in a very small fill, which suits compact capsules and small tablets. Dilution with a free-flowing carrier is often needed so that the capsule fill is large enough to weigh accurately.

0.5% Grade for Mushroom-Blend Capsules

The 0.5% grade blends with other mushroom extracts in multi-ingredient capsules. Its bulkier, softer solid fills more evenly than the 20% grade, and it gives the blend an earthy, slightly sweet mushroom note. Dry rooms keep the blend flowing.

0.5% Grade for Stick Packs

At the lower grade, sticks carry the extract at a higher gram weight in hot or cold water. A pale amber, slightly hazy cup results, and honey, ginger or citrus flavors suit the mild, savory fruiting body taste.

0.5% Grade Gummy Premixes

Gummies take the lower grade because its gram-level dose fits a chewable gel. Add it after the main cook to protect the nucleosides from long heating, and choose orange, peach or mango flavors that match its warm tone.

20% Grade in Tablet Blends

Tablets of the 20% grade call for a dry binder and a disintegration check, because the diluted blend must compress evenly. A moisture-resistant coating protects the nucleoside from humidity during storage. Check dissolution at the end of the stated shelf life.

20% Grade in Sachet Blends

Sachets of the 20% grade are usually blended with a bulking carrier such as maltodextrin or cellulose so that the dose is large enough to fill accurately. Pre-blend in stages, and keep humidity low in the filling room.

Technical & Quality Considerations

The extract is a light brown powder with a mild, earthy, slightly sweet odor and a faintly bitter taste. It is slightly soluble in water, so a solution turns pale brown and hazy as the less soluble fraction stays in suspension, and the powder takes up moisture readily. Nucleosides can break down in strong acid and during long hot holds, so the extract should be added late in any cooking step and kept out of strongly acidic bases.

For scale-up, sieve the powder and premix it with a small share of the carrier. The high grade is a potent, dense solid, and a small weighing error changes the label amount, so verify capsule fill weight at each lot change and use a calibrated balance. For tablets, add a dry binder and confirm hardness once the compacts have aged. Keep the drum sealed and cool, and compare each lot with a retained sample for color and odor. Powder from nucleoside-rich fungal bodies is dusty and electrostatic at the high grade, so weigh in a draft-free area with grounded tools, and clean the balance between lots.

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.