Cordyceps sinensis Polysaccharide Powder

Cordyceps sinensis polysaccharide powder is a water-extracted, purified fraction from the fruiting body of the Tibetan caterpillar fungus. The light yellow, water-soluble powder is defined by its polysaccharide content, measured as total carbohydrate by UV-Vis against glucose. The name used here is the long-established trade name of the fungus. It suits capsules, sticks and beverage powders that need a defined Cordyceps sinensis polysaccharide content.

The figure counts carbohydrate polymers, mainly glucans and heteropolysaccharides, and not any single compound. A polysaccharide percentage is meaningful only with its method, so the percentage and the test are stated together.

SKU: BOT-BPS-0003 Category: Botanical Polysaccharides Tags: Gummies & Chews, Mushroom & Fungi, Polysaccharides, Water Extracted, Water Soluble, Water-Extracted Fractions

Cordyceps sinensis Polysaccharide Identity

The source is the fungus long known as Cordyceps sinensis (Berk.) Sacc., which current taxonomy accepts as Ophiocordyceps sinensis in the family Ophiocordycipitaceae. In nature it infects the underground larvae of ghost moths on the high Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas, and a dark fungal stalk grows from the larva in spring. The traditional name “yartsa gunbu” or “winter worm, summer grass” describes this union of insect and fungus.

Wild specimens are scarce and expensive, and the species is difficult to cultivate as a fruiting body, so most commercial products come from cultivated fungal material. This is a point of care for the label. Cordyceps militaris, a different and more easily cultivated species, is also sold as “cordyceps,” and its products have different chemistry. The Latin name in the H1 states which fungus is meant, and the part named for this product is the fruiting body.

The polysaccharides of this fungus include glucans, mannose-rich heteropolysaccharides and galactomannan-type fractions. Water extraction followed by concentration and ethanol precipitation recovers the water-soluble polysaccharides, and the fraction is dried to powder. Along the way protein, a little mineral salt and, depending on the substrate, leftover starch or dextrin can be carried with the fraction.

Polysaccharide Content & Test Method

One grade is offered, polysaccharides of at least 30% by UV-Vis against a glucose standard; with no choice to make, prose replaces a grade table.

Three methods are in common use, and they count different things. The usual UV-Vis assay, phenol–sulfuric acid, reads every hydrolyzable sugar polymer as carbohydrate: starch, dextrin and any other sugar polymer that releases sugars on acid hydrolysis give a color, together with the target polysaccharides. The gravimetric method weighs the material that precipitates in ethanol, which includes protein. An enzymatic method digests beta-glucan specifically and measures the released glucose, which gives a lower and more specific number.

The percentage is a UV-Vis total-carbohydrate reading and cannot stand in for a beta-glucan figure. Because starch and dextrin from a grain or sugar substrate inflate UV-Vis results, a percentage is only comparable between products that share a method, a standard and a raw material, and a cordyceps polysaccharide figure should never be read as a beta-glucan figure.

Two further points belong with the percentage. A polysaccharide specification says nothing about small-molecule markers such as the nucleoside cordycepin, which belongs to a different fungus and a different grade. And because the species name has changed in taxonomy but not in trade, the label uses the established Latin name that buyers search for. Cordyceps sinensis polysaccharide values are compared only within one method and one raw material.

Typical Specifications

Specification Item	Product Information
Latin Name	Cordyceps sinensis
Plant Part	Mushroom & Fungi
Processing	Water Extraction & Purification
Common Name	Cordyceps sinensis
Ingredient Type	Polysaccharide Extract
Polysaccharide Type	Glucan and mannose-rich heteropolysaccharides
Content	Polysaccharides ≥30% (UV-Vis, as glucose)
Appearance	Light Yellow powder
Solubility / Dispersibility	Water Soluble
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

Cordyceps sinensis Polysaccharide Solution Behavior

In water, Cordyceps sinensis polysaccharide powder dissolves to a pale yellow, clear to slightly hazy solution. Hydration at room temperature is quick, and warmth shortens it further. At drink and stick concentrations the solution stays thin, with only a slow rise in viscosity as the level goes up. No viscosity value is given.

The polysaccharides tolerate normal food processing. Pasteurization and hot filling leave the chains largely intact, while prolonged boiling at low pH can hydrolyze them and shorten the average chain length. Since the loss depends on time, temperature and acidity, each heat step is checked in the real formula.

Other ingredients interact in predictable ways. Protein in the fraction may bind tannins in tea and coffee and add slight haze, while acidic drinks stay clear once the Cordyceps sinensis powder is fully dissolved. Normal levels of calcium or magnesium leave the polysaccharides in solution. The pale yellow tint is stable in the dark and darkens slowly under light.

Cordyceps sinensis polysaccharide powder is hygroscopic. Moisture uptake from air is quick: the powder turns tacky, then lumps, and sets hard in a humid room. Dry weighing areas, a closed liner between draws and prompt use of opened containers keep the powder loose.

In short, Cordyceps sinensis polysaccharide dissolves quickly, stays thin at drink levels and tolerates normal heat, with long acidic boiling as the main risk. Cordyceps sinensis contributes little flavor of its own, so a Cordyceps sinensis polysaccharide powder at 30% is dosed by the polysaccharide amount a label needs.

Application Areas

Capsules and Tablets

Capsule and tablet makers fill Cordyceps sinensis polysaccharide powder alone or with excipients. Filling rooms stay dry for this fine, moisture-attracting powder, and any flow aid is a choice within the buyer’s own process and formula, not a fixed rule.

Instant Drink Sticks

Stick packs blend the Cordyceps sinensis powder with fruit powders, tea or creamers for a single serving. Dissolving in hot or cold water, it brings almost no flavor and only a faint yellow tint. Moisture-proof film keeps sticks free-flowing in storage.

Beverage Powders and Shots

Beverage powders and liquid shots use the powder for a labeled polysaccharide content in a soluble base. It dissolves clearly at drinking concentrations, and the mild earthy note is easy to cover with citrus, honey or herbal flavors.

Gummies and Chewables

Chewable and gummy producers add the powder once the main cook is over, which protects chain length. The pale color suits light candy, and fruit flavors cover the mild earthy note in typical chew and gummy recipes.

Nutrition Powders and Blends

Protein powders, meal-replacement mixes and herbal blends include the powder in small amounts for a labeled polysaccharide content. It blends easily with dry ingredients and adds little color or taste, and humidity control keeps the blend loose.

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.