Swertia Chirata Extract Powder

Swertia chirata extract starts from the aerial parts of Swertia chirayita, the Himalayan chiretta, an intensely bitter annual or biennial herb of the gentian family. Water extraction concentrates the soluble herb fraction, and the liquor is dried to a light brown powder.

The extract is supplied at a 10:1 ratio with no marker percentage and is milled to 80 mesh. A swertiamarin-graded extract and the single compounds are separate products, so this ratio extract is the entry for a plain whole-herb water concentrate.

SKU: BOT-BEX-0588 Category: Botanical Extracts Tags: Bars & Bakery, Leaf & Herb, Plant Extracts, Swertia, Water Dispersible, Water Extracted

Swertia chirayita Identity & Plant Part

The botanical entity is Swertia chirayita (Roxb.) H.Karst., chirata or chiretta, a Himalayan herb of the Gentianaceae that grows at temperate altitudes. The part used is the aerial portion, meaning stem, leaf and flower. Roots are not part of this ingredient, although some trade lists describe the entire plant. The herb stands about a meter tall, with slender stems, opposite leaves and greenish-yellow flowers.

Two points cause confusion. Other Swertia species are sold under the same name, and Andrographis paniculata, the green chiretta, is a different plant of another family. Swertia chirata carries bitter secoiridoid glycosides, xanthones and flavone C-glycosides, named as families only. Swertia chirata extract keeps the water-soluble part of these.

Swertia chirata Extract vs Graded Forms

Form	What It Is	Choose It When
10:1 Herb Extract	Water-extracted and concentrated chirata herb	A plain whole-herb concentrate without a marker target is specified
Swertia Chirayita Extract 5–50% Swertiamarin	Separate extract graded by swertiamarin content	A defined bitter-glycoside grade is the specification
Amarogentin 98%	Single bitter secoiridoid compound sold as a pure ingredient	A single compound is the specification
Swerchirin 98%	Single xanthone compound sold as a pure ingredient	A single compound is the specification

The 10:1 ratio is a concentration step from dried herb. It says nothing about swertiamarin or amarogentin content, and the graded and single-compound siblings are measured differently. A buyer who needs a numeric marker or a single molecule specifies one of them instead.

The ratio extract suits formulas that want the whole bitter profile of the plant and no purified fraction. Swertia chirata is bitter enough that inclusion is usually limited by taste, not by solubility, so capsules and tablets dominate its formats, and the choice of format matters more than the choice of grade. Species, part and ratio together define what is supplied.

Typical Specifications

Specification Item	Product Information
Latin Name	Swertia chirayita
Plant Part	Leaf & Herb
Processing	Water Extraction
Common Name	Chirata (Chiretta)
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

Capsule Fills for Chirata Herb

Two-piece capsules are the main format for Swertia chirata extract because its bitterness is extreme. The light brown powder flows after a flow aid is added, and the shell hides the taste. Disintegration and fill-weight tests close each lot.

Coated Bitter-Herb Tablets

Tablets compress the Swertia chirata extract with cellulose filler and a disintegrant. A sugar or film coat is nearly essential, since the taste is unpleasant at the first contact with moisture. Hardness and disintegration are checked on coated tablets.

Tea-Style Bitter Sachets

Instant sachets blend the Swertia chirata extract with ginger, cinnamon, licorice-style flavors and a generous sweetener to tame the bitterness. A low inclusion level keeps the cup drinkable, and tasting trials set the limit before any filling starts.

Masked Stick-Pack Blends

Stick packs pair the extract with strong citrus or cocoa flavors and sweetener. The hazy brown drink still tastes bitter, which is why trial lots are tasted before scale-up. Uniform blending keeps the dose steady across the stick run.

Dark Chocolate Bar Premixes

Bars take the extract in the dry blend with cocoa, nuts and dates, which cover the bitter edge best. The powder is premixed with dry ingredients ahead of the syrup, and finished bars are tasted and checked for moisture.

Formulation Notes

Swertia chirata extract is a light brown powder with a faint herbal aroma and an intensely bitter taste that persists. In water it disperses to a hazy tan-brown liquid. Bitterness comes from glycosides that dissolve readily in water, so even dilute solutions taste bitter and the dose is limited by taste.

The powder takes up moisture at a moderate rate and clumps in humid air. Weigh it in a dry room and reseal the pack after each draw. A flow agent keeps capsule filling smooth. Capsule shells and coated tablets are the main tools for managing the taste in finished products, and opened packs belong in a closed container away from direct light and heat.

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.