Astragalus membranaceus Polysaccharide Powder

The dried root of Astragalus membranaceus, called huang qi in Chinese herbal practice, is extracted in hot water and purified to isolate its water-soluble carbohydrate fraction. The dried product is a brown powder: Astragalus membranaceus polysaccharide powder, defined by its carbohydrate content and not by the saponins and isoflavones of the same root.

Polysaccharide content is ≥30% by UV-Vis, with moisture and total ash each ≤5.0% and particles milled to 80 mesh. The powder is water soluble and is supplied to brands formulating dietary supplements, functional beverages and functional foods, with the content and the method stated together.

SKU: BOT-BPS-0009 Category: Botanical Polysaccharides Tags: Astragalus, Polysaccharides, Root & Rhizome, Seasonings & Sauces, Water Extracted, Water-Extracted Fractions

Astragalus Polysaccharide Identity

The source is the root of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge, a perennial legume of the family Fabaceae. Current taxonomic databases treat the name as a synonym of Astragalus mongholicus, and pharmacopeial sources describe huang qi as the root of A. membranaceus or of its variety mongholicus. This ingredient is listed under the name Astragalus membranaceus, and the root of the plant is the only part used. Astragalus membranaceus polysaccharide is therefore a root-derived carbohydrate fraction, and stems, leaves, pods and seeds do not enter the material. The genus contains thousands of species, and North American locoweeds are not the source of this ingredient.

The root is rich in starch, which matters for a polysaccharide product. Literature on astragalus describes two main groups of polymers in the root: glucans built on an α-(1→4) backbone, which are starch-like, and acidic heteropolysaccharides carrying arabinose, galactose, rhamnose and uronic acids. Water extraction recovers both groups together with free sugars, so purification has to remove the small sugars and reduce the starch to leave a polysaccharide-led solid. The saponins and isoflavones of the root are separate chemistry and are mostly left behind.

The same plant is available in other forms: Astragalus Root Extract Powder is a 10:1 ratio extract with no content figure, Astragalus Root Powder is the milled root, and Astragalus Extract 20–50% Polysaccharides is a separate extract sold in a graded range.

Polysaccharide Content & Test Method

The grade is polysaccharides ≥30% by UV-Vis, a single grade with no table. The method reacts carbohydrate with phenol in hot sulfuric acid and reads the orange-brown product by absorbance against a glucose curve, so the result is total carbohydrate expressed as glucose. It does not tell the polysaccharide from starch, dextrin or free sugar, because all of them respond in the same way.

That is the central point for astragalus. A root extract that still carries starch or a maltodextrin carrier gives a high UV-Vis total without a high share of root polysaccharide. A gravimetric method, which weighs the ethanol precipitate, counts only the fraction that precipitates and includes any protein carried along, and a specific enzymatic method counts one family of linkages. These figures describe different things and are not interchangeable.

This Astragalus membranaceus polysaccharide powder is produced by water extraction followed by purification, and its content is stated as the total carbohydrate figure by UV-Vis. Because the root holds so much starch, the purification step, and not the extraction alone, decides how much of the total is true root polysaccharide. The percentage is the grade of the powder. It is not an astragaloside content, and the saponins that give huang qi its recognized marker status are a separate subject handled in other products.

Typical Specifications

Specification Item	Product Information
Latin Name	Astragalus membranaceus
Plant Part	Root & Rhizome
Processing	Water Extraction & Purification
Common Name	Astragalus, huang qi
Ingredient Type	Polysaccharide Extract
Polysaccharide Type	Glucans and acidic heteropolysaccharides (plant root)
Content	Polysaccharides ≥30% (UV-Vis, as glucose)
Appearance	Brown powder
Solubility / Dispersibility	Water Soluble
Quality Parameters
Moisture	≤5.0% (LOD)
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

Astragalus Polysaccharide Solution Behavior

The powder dissolves in warm water to a clear to slightly hazy brown solution with a mildly sweet, bean-like taste. Root polysaccharides build more viscosity than mushroom glucans, because the acidic heteropolysaccharides are larger and carry charge, and at drinking concentrations the solution is still thin. Hydration is faster in warm water than in cold, and stirring into a vortex avoids the swollen lumps that fine polysaccharide powders form on contact with liquid.

Heat and pH tolerance is good in the usual formulation range, so Astragalus membranaceus polysaccharide suits hot filling and pasteurized drinks. Prolonged heating with strong acid thins the polymer and darkens the color. Ethanol precipitates the dissolved polysaccharide when its share in the liquid is high, and protein can cloud the solution at low pH. The brown color deepens slowly by Maillard reaction when the powder is held warm with amino acids or protein, so the finished shade should be checked after a heat treatment.

Starch left in a poorly purified material gelatinizes in hot liquid and clouds on cooling. A clear solution that stays clear after a cold hold is therefore a practical sign of a well-purified product. Viscosity and clarity are qualitative in this description, since no values are stated for the product.

For scale-up, dissolve the powder in a side vessel with warm water and add it to the batch, because adding the fine, hygroscopic powder straight into a cold tank leaves dry cores inside swollen lumps. Filter the solution before heat treatment, keep the order of addition fixed so that Astragalus membranaceus polysaccharide does not meet alcohol or acid before it is fully dissolved, and compare each lot with a retained sample for color and clarity.

Application Areas

Capsules and Tablets

The soluble powder fills capsules cleanly at a modest weight and compresses with a dry binder. It attracts moisture, so a dry filling room and a desiccant in the bottle prevent caking, and an opaque shell hides the brown tone of Astragalus membranaceus polysaccharide.

Instant Herbal Drink Sticks

Herbal sticks and tea-style drinks use the dissolving Astragalus membranaceus powder with jujube, goji or ginseng flavors that match its mildly sweet, bean-like taste. Dissolve it in hot water first, and add heat-sensitive flavors after the liquid has cooled to avoid a flat aroma.

Ready-to-Drink Concentrates

Liquid concentrates take the powder because it dissolves. Check the alcohol and protein level of the base before scale-up, since both can precipitate polysaccharide, and hold a filtered test batch for a week to see whether the brown solution stays clear.

Soup and Congee Mixes

Dry soup bases, congee and porridge mixes take Astragalus membranaceus polysaccharide at low inclusion. It disperses in hot liquid with the starch of the base, adds a gentle sweetness and a brown tint, and blends best when pre-mixed with the sugar or flour fraction.

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.