Black Cohosh Extract Powder

Black cohosh extract comes from the dark, knotty rhizome and attached roots of Actaea racemosa, a woodland perennial of eastern North America long catalogued as Cimicifuga racemosa. Water extraction concentrates the soluble rhizome fraction, and the liquor is dried to a brown powder. Leaves, flowers and stems are left out.

The 10:1 ratio extract of black cohosh states no triterpene glycoside percentage. The powder is milled to 80 mesh and disperses in water. A triterpene glycoside-graded extract and the plain root powder are separate products, and the Asian Actaea species sold under similar names are different plants altogether.

SKU: BOT-BEX-0052 Category: Botanical Extracts Tags: Black Cohosh, Plant Extracts, Root & Rhizome, Seasonings & Sauces, Water Dispersible, Water Extracted

Actaea racemosa Rhizome Identity & Plant Part

The botanical entity is Actaea racemosa L., a tall perennial of the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, native from southern Ontario to Georgia and west to Missouri and Arkansas. Its flower spikes can reach 50 cm and carry tight clusters of white stamens. The part used is the underground rhizome with its attached roots; stems, leaves and flowers are not part of this black cohosh extract.

The botanical name has moved. Linnaeus placed the plant in Actaea, Nuttall transferred it to Cimicifuga, and many authors have since returned it to Actaea, so Cimicifuga racemosa on an older specification names the same species. Asian relatives such as Actaea cimicifuga (also written Cimicifuga foetida), A. dahurica and A. simplex are traded as sheng ma or as substitutes, and DNA studies of retail products have found them in place of black cohosh.

Black Cohosh Extract vs Powder & Grade

Form	What It Is	Choose It When
10:1 Rhizome Extract	Water-extracted, concentrated and dried A. racemosa rhizome	A dispersible rhizome extract without a marker is wanted
Black Cohosh Extract 2.5–8% Triterpene Glycosides	Standardized extract with a defined triterpene glycoside range	The specification names a triterpene glycoside figure
Black Cohosh Root Powder	Dried, milled rhizome and root with no extraction	Whole-root fiber and bulk are acceptable

Ten parts of rhizome lie behind each part of this black cohosh powder, which is all the 10:1 figure records. It is not a triterpene glycoside content, and because the phenolic acids travel into water more easily than the glycosides, the glycoside share of this extract is the part the ratio says least about.

When a label has to name triterpene glycosides, the graded extract applies. The ratio extract serves formulas that want rhizome identity and a dispersible brown powder at modest cost. The root powder is the whole-material option, with fiber and the coarse earthy character of the dried rhizome.

Typical Specifications

Specification Item	Product Information
Latin Name	Actaea racemosa
Plant Part	Root & Rhizome
Processing	Water Extraction
Common Name	Black Cohosh
Ingredient Type	Ratio Extract
Extract Ratio	10:1
Appearance	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

Rhizome Extract Capsule Fills

Opaque shells hide the brown color of black cohosh extract and its earthy, bitter taste. The concentrated powder allows a smaller fill weight than milled rhizome, which keeps capsule size manageable, and a flow check on the 80 mesh material comes before encapsulation.

Coated Rhizome Tablets

Coating covers the bitter, acrid taste of the rhizome and shields the hygroscopic extract from moisture. Hardness and disintegration are tested after storage, and a pilot batch runs before scale-up, because compacts of such extracts can soften as they take up water.

Spiced Sachets and Sticks

Sachets and powder sticks pair black cohosh extract with ginger, orange peel or licorice-style flavors that soften its bitter, earthy character. The powder disperses in warm water to a light brown, lightly hazy liquid, and a sweetener is usually needed in plain water.

Dark Herbal Tea Mixes

Tea-style mixes set the extract beside hibiscus, cinnamon or rooibos. The dark infusion sits comfortably among warm tea colors, and the powder dissolves without leaving root fragments, so the cup stays free of sediment after it has cooled.

Formulation Notes

The powder is brown with an earthy aroma and a bitter, acrid and astringent taste that is hard to ignore in plain water. In water it disperses to a brown, lightly hazy liquid. Bitterness is the main design problem, and strong flavors and sweeteners work best when they enter the blend early.

Black cohosh extract draws moisture and forms lumps in humid air. Combine it first with a share of the filler, screen soft lumps away, and add a little glidant if the powder arches over the hopper outlet. Phenolic acids such as isoferulic acid are sensitive to heat, light and alkaline pH, so beverages are best kept mildly acidic to neutral.

After opening, close the liner firmly. Room air darkens this brown, phenolic-rich powder and leaves it sticky, and a half-used container loses the free flow that made it easy to meter.

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.