Light brown Sophora Flavescens Root Extract Powder from Sophora flavescens root

Sophora Flavescens Extract Powder

The yellow root of Sophora flavescens, the shrubby sophora known as kushen in Chinese trade, supplies this sophora flavescens extract. Water extraction concentrates the soluble root fraction, and the liquor is dried to a light brown powder at a 10:1 ratio. Stems, leaves, seeds and the unrelated pagoda tree are left out.

The 10:1 ratio of this sophora flavescens extract carries no alkaloid percentage. The powder is light brown, ground to 80 mesh and water dispersible. An alkaloid-graded sophora extract and the single compounds matrine and oxymatrine are separate products, and Styphnolobium japonicum is a different tree.

SKU: BOT-BEX-0105 Category: Botanical Extracts Tags: Gummies & Chews, Kushen, Plant Extracts, Root & Rhizome, Water Dispersible, Water Extracted

Sophora flavescens Root Identity & Part

The botanical entity is Sophora flavescens Aiton, a perennial shrub of the legume family, Fabaceae, with pinnate leaves and pale yellow flower spikes. The part used is the root, which is dug, washed, sliced and dried before extraction. Leaves, stems and seed pods are not added to this sophora flavescens extract.

The name Sophora covers many species, and the Japanese pagoda tree, now placed in Styphnolobium, is traded under the old name Sophora japonica for its flowers and fruit, which have a very different chemistry. Kushen, which means bitter root, is also unrelated to ginseng. The root contains quinolizidine alkaloids such as matrine and oxymatrine and prenylated flavonoids, and water extraction brings the polar alkaloids into the Sophora flavescens powder.

Sophora Extract vs Powder & Standardized Grades

Form	What It Is	Choose It When
10:1 Sophora Flavescens Root Extract	Water-extracted, concentrated and dried S. flavescens root	A dispersible root extract without a marker is wanted
Sophora flavescens Extract 10–50% Total Alkaloids	Extract with a defined alkaloid range	The specification names an alkaloid figure
Matrine	Single purified alkaloid	A pure compound is required, not a plant extract
Oxymatrine	Single purified alkaloid	A pure compound is required, not a plant extract

Kushen root enters at ten parts per part of powder, and 10:1 describes only that input. It gives no alkaloid figure, and the graded extract is the product that fits a label requiring a total alkaloid statement.

The sophora flavescens extract suits blends that want kushen root identity in a dispersible form. The two pure compounds are chemical references rather than substitutes, and each is handled as a separate ingredient with its own documentation. Alkaloid-containing botanicals face different rules from market to market, so formulators check local requirements before launch.

Typical Specifications

Specification Item	Product Information
Latin Name	Sophora flavescens
Plant Part	Root & Rhizome
Processing	Water Extraction
Common Name	Kushen, Shrubby Sophora
Ingredient Type	Ratio Extract
Extract Ratio	10:1
Appearance	Light Brown powder
Solubility / Dispersibility	Water Dispersible
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

Application Areas

Intensely Bitter Capsule Fills

Capsule fills are the natural format for kushen extract, since the shell keeps its extreme bitterness off the tongue. The light brown powder is slightly tacky, so a flow aid is considered, and fill weight is checked on a trial run. Capsule dust is kept low because the Sophora flavescens powder tastes harsh on contact.

Coated Tablet Cores

Coated tablets enclose the Sophora flavescens extract so that its bitterness stays inside. The alkaloid salts are soluble and the solids soften in humid air, so the coat also serves as a moisture barrier. Hardness is checked after storage, and a thick sugar or film coat is used.

Strongly Masked Stick Packs

Sticks use sweetener and strong flavors such as mint, cocoa or ginger to cover the bitterness. Even then, the dose in plain water is set by taste, not by solubility, and a pilot panel quickly shows the practical ceiling.

Dark Chew Premixes

Chew premixes accept kushen extract once the cooked base has cooled. Dark flavors such as coffee, licorice or caramel hide both its bitterness and its brown tint, whereas pale fruit chews would show both in the finished chew.

Formulation Notes

The Sophora flavescens powder is light brown with a faint, earthy aroma and an intensely bitter taste that lingers. In water it disperses to a pale amber, slightly hazy liquid. Because the bitter note is the main sensory limit, trials start from a low dose and rise only as far as the masking system allows.

Mix the powder with a small share of the base first, so that the bitter note is spread through the whole batch. Alkaloids are more soluble in acid and may precipitate at higher pH, so beverage trials include a check of clarity across the intended pH range. Cleaning of scoops and mixers is thorough, because traces carry bitterness into the next product.

After opening, reseal the liner firmly and store the drum away from sweet and delicate powders, since the dust itself is bitter and spreads easily on a shared bench.

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.