Panax Notoginseng Extract 5–80% Total Saponins

Panax notoginseng extract starts from the root of Panax notoginseng, the sanqi of southwest China, and the flower, leaf and rhizome head are not part of the starting material. Ethanol extraction concentrates the saponins of the root, and the liquor is dried to a brown powder.

The primary grade is 80% total saponins by UV, with a 5% grade as the lower end of the range. The powder is 80 mesh and water soluble. The 80% grade serves capsule and tablet formulas that need a small fill weight, while the 5% grade suits drink sticks, gummies and blends in which root character matters more than potency.

SKU: BOT-STX-0010 Category: Standardized Extracts Tags: Ethanol Extracted, Gummies & Chews, Notoginseng, Root & Rhizome, Saponins, Standardized Extracts

Total Saponin Standardization & Grades

Notoginseng root carries dammarane-type saponins of the protopanaxadiol group, such as ginsenoside Rb1, and of the protopanaxatriol group, such as ginsenoside Rg1 and the species-characteristic notoginsenoside R1. The extract is standardized to them as a class, because the saponins as a whole define the botanical and because a UV assay measures the class in a routine laboratory. The botanical entity is Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F.H.Chen ex C.H.Chow, and the part used is the root.

Grade	Assay & Method	Where It Fits
5% Total Saponins	UV	Drink sticks, gummies and root-led blends
80% Total Saponins	UV	Capsules and tablets with small fill weight

Grade choice follows dose, fill weight and taste. The 80% grade carries sixteen times the saponin load of the 5% grade per gram, so a capsule reaches its target in a very small fill, whereas the 5% grade is a bulkier, starchier solid that is easy to meter into sticks. Notoginseng is also supplied as a 10:1 ratio extract with no marker figure, the Notoginseng Extract Powder, and as two purified saponins, Ginsenoside Rb1 98% and Ginsenoside Rg1 98%. The standardized extract is the row for a class declaration of total saponins.

A total saponin figure by UV states a class, so quotes for Panax notoginseng extract should say which assay was used and which reference saponin it was calibrated against. The 5% grade is the choice for a bulkier, starchier solid with root character, and the 80% grade is the choice when the saponin dose is the design constraint. Because the two ends of the range differ sixteen-fold, the grade should be named wherever the Panax notoginseng extract appears in a formula.

Total Saponin Analysis & Purity Risks

Both grades are measured by a UV method, a colorimetric assay in which the saponins react with an acidic reagent to give a colored product that is read in a spectrophotometer against a reference saponin. It reports the class as one number and does not separate individual members. An HPLC assay, by contrast, resolves and adds up named ginsenosides, so a UV total and an HPLC sum for the same material differ and are not interchangeable. Neither should be converted into the other.

Because a class assay cannot show which saponins are present, the saponin pattern is used as an identity check alongside it. Notoginsenoside R1 is a characteristic compound of this species and is present at very low levels in Asian and American ginseng, so its presence helps to separate notoginseng from other Panax extracts, while Rb1 and Rg1 are common across the genus and prove little alone.

Purity risks follow from the name. Sanqi is easily confused with other ginseng-type roots, and the Chinese name tusanqi is used for unrelated Gynura plants. A colorimetric total can also respond to other reactive compounds, so a high figure alone does not prove origin. A fixed plant part, a stated species and a fingerprint protect identity better than a percentage does.

In practice, the assay is run in duplicate against a calibration curve, and a reagent blank corrects for background color. The measurement is sensitive to reaction time and temperature, so the method fixes both. A deep brown extract also absorbs near the wavelength of the colored product, which means sample preparation often includes a clean-up step to remove interfering color. A reported total therefore depends on how carefully the method controls these steps, and a Panax notoginseng extract should be compared only between like methods.

Typical Specifications

Specification Item	Product Information
Latin Name	Panax notoginseng
Plant Part	Root & Rhizome
Processing	Ethanol Extraction
Compound Class	Saponins
Common Name	Notoginseng, Sanqi, Tienchi Ginseng
Ingredient Type	Standardized Extract
Marker Compound(s)	Total saponins (dammarane saponins of Panax notoginseng)
Primary Grade	80% Total Saponins (UV)
Available Grades	5% · 80% Total Saponins (UV)
Appearance	Brown 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

Applications by Grade

80% Grade for Compact Capsules

The 80% grade reaches a saponin target in a very small fill, which suits compact capsules and tablets. Saponins attract moisture and foam, so a glidant and a dry filling room keep the powder moving and the fill weight steady.

5% Grade for Drink Sticks

The 5% grade is bulky enough to carry in sticks at a gram-level dose in hot water. The water-soluble brown powder gives an amber cup with a bittersweet, slightly woody taste, and honey, ginger or jujube flavors cover it.

5% Grade Gummy Premixes

Gummies take the lower grade because its mild bittersweet profile fits chewable gels. Add the extract after the main cook to spare the saponins from long heating, and expect some foam from the surface-active solid in the cooking pot.

80% Grade in Tablet Blends

Pressing the 80% grade into tablets means adding a bulking agent, a dry binder and a lubricant, because the potent solid alone gives a compact too small to handle. A moisture-resistant coat prevents softening in storage. Dissolution should be checked again on stored tablets.

5% Grade in Instant Drink Mixes

Instant powders take the lower grade with sweeteners and tea or cocoa flavors. The mix foams on stirring, so pour it into the liquid and let it settle before capping bottles. Stir gently to limit foam.

80% Grade in Sachet Blends

Fine sachets of the 80% grade are diluted with a bulking carrier in stages so that the filler can weigh an accurate dose of Panax notoginseng extract, and the filling room should stay dry because the saponin-rich solid is hygroscopic.

Technical & Quality Considerations

The extract is a brown powder with an earthy, faintly sweet odor and a bitter-sweet, slightly numbing taste typical of ginseng-type saponins. It is water soluble, giving an amber-brown, clear to lightly hazy solution that foams strongly when shaken. Sugars and saponins keep the powder hygroscopic, so open drums form hard lumps in humid rooms.

For scale-up, add the powder below the surface of a stirred liquid or through a funnel to limit foam, and leave extra headspace in mixing tanks. Sieve the powder, premix it with a small share of the carrier and verify capsule fill weight at each lot change. Saponins hold up under mild processing, whereas prolonged heat in an acid base shifts the profile, which argues for late addition of the extract. Keep the drum sealed, and compare each lot with a retained sample for color and foam. Notoginseng extracts are dark and strongly staining, so dedicated sieves and scoops simplify cleaning between lots.

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.