Boerhavia diffusa Extract Powder

Boerhavia diffusa, the spreading hogweed known in Ayurvedic practice as punarnava, supplies the root for this extract. The root is extracted in water, concentrated and dried to a light brown powder. Leaves, stems and seeds of the herb are not part of the material.

This boerhavia diffusa extract is a 10:1 ratio extract with no marker assay and no saponin figure. The powder is milled to 80 mesh and disperses in water. A saponin-standardized extract and a punarnava powder of the same plant are listed as separate products.

SKU: BOT-BEX-0227 Category: Botanical Extracts Tags: Bars & Bakery, Plant Extracts, Punarnava, Root & Rhizome, Water Dispersible, Water Extracted

Boerhavia diffusa Root Source & Identity

The botanical entity is Boerhavia diffusa L., a creeping perennial herb of the four-o’clock family, Nyctaginaceae, found in tropical and warm regions. The part used is the root. Leaves, stems, flowers and seeds are not part of this boerhavia diffusa extract.

Punarnava is a name that covers more than one plant in the trade. Trianthema portulacastrum, the white punarnava of Ayurvedic texts, is a different plant, and Boerhavia repens is a close relative that can appear on herb lists. The Latin name and the part, root, settle the identity.

Alkaloids such as punarnavine, rotenoids called boeravinones and lignans are the reported constituent families of the plant.

Boerhavia diffusa Extract vs Standardized & Powder

Form	What It Is	Choose It When
10:1 Boerhavia diffusa Root Extract	Water extract of the root, ratio-defined	A whole-root extract profile without a marker figure is needed
Boerhavia diffusa Extract 20–40% Saponins	Standardized extract with a defined saponin range	The specification names a saponin figure
Punarnava Powder	Dried, milled punarnava, no extraction	Whole-herb material with fibre is wanted

It is not a saponin assay. The ratio extract keeps the whole water-soluble profile of the root, while the standardized extract is built around a stated saponin range.

A ratio extract fixes species, part and solvent. A standardized extract adds a declared range. A milled punarnava keeps all the fibre, and the name on a specification decides which is the correct match.

Typical Specifications

Specification Item	Product Information
Latin Name	Boerhavia diffusa
Plant Part	Root & Rhizome
Processing	Water Extraction
Common Name	Spreading Hogweed, Punarnava
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

Capsules for a Bitter Root Extract

Boerhavia diffusa extract fills hard capsules after a flow check at 80 mesh, and a blend usually needs only one excipient. The alkaloid-bearing root tastes bitter, and a capsule shell keeps that taste out of the mouth. Keep the hopper covered between runs and add a glidant if the powder starts to arch.

Tablets with Coating

Tablet strength comes from a dry binder, with the lubricant mixed in at the end of the run. A film coat covers both the bitterness and the light brown core. Retest hardness after a week in the final pack, since a boerhavia diffusa extract tablet gains moisture slowly.

Tea-Style Instant Sticks

Punarnava is traditionally prepared as a decoction, so tea-style sticks suit the extract. It disperses in hot water to a tan cup with a light haze. Ginger, cardamom or jaggery-style flavours balance the bitterness, and a taste test at the planned dose sets the fill weight.

Single-Serve Sachets

Sachets carry boerhavia diffusa extract in a sugar or fibre carrier, where it keeps its tan tone. Sieve the powder into the carrier before filling, and run a dose-uniformity check at the start, middle and end of the filling run to confirm an even blend.

Dry Bar Blends

Mix the extract into the dry base of a bar before the binder warms it. A cocoa, date or spice bar masks the bitter-leaning note, and a taste trial after a week shows how the bitterness develops with storage.

Formulation Notes

Boerhavia diffusa extract is a light brown powder with a mild, earthy smell and a bitter taste. In water it forms a tan dispersion with a light haze, and the saponin fraction can add a little foam on shaking. The colour is gentle enough to blend into most bases.

Bitterness is the main sensory variable of boerhavia diffusa extract, so taste work belongs at the finished dose and in the real base, not in plain water. Alkaloid-bearing extracts can also shift colour in alkaline media, which a pilot batch will show. Let the liquid rest for several minutes before judging haze.

Disperse by feeding the powder into a vortex, or wet it with a little liquid first. For dry mixes, sieve it with a portion of the carrier before blending. Reseal opened drums with the air pressed out and keep them in a cool, dry place away from steam.

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.