Prickly Ash Bark Extract Powder

Prickly ash bark extract powder is built on the stem bark of Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim., the Chinese prickly ash that also yields Sichuan pepper, and not on the pungent fruit husk of the same tree. The bark is extracted in water, and the liquor is concentrated and dried into a light brown powder.

The extract ratio is 10:1, the powder is milled to 80 mesh, and it is water dispersible. It carries no marker figure, so it differs from the Sichuan pepper fruit extract and from the milled Sichuan pepper powder of the same species.

SKU: BOT-BEX-0524 Category: Botanical Extracts Tags: Bark & Stem, Bars & Bakery, Plant Extracts, Seasonings & Sauces, Sichuan Pepper, Water Extracted

Prickly Ash Bark Source & Identity

Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. is a thorny shrub or small tree of the citrus family (Rutaceae), grown across northern and western China. The part used here is the bark, taken from the stems and branches. The fruit pericarp, which carries the numbing flavor of Sichuan pepper, is another part of the tree and has its own extract and powder, and leaves and seeds are not used. In Western herbal trade, prickly ash bark usually means Zanthoxylum americanum, the northern prickly ash of North America, which is a different species, so the botanical name defines this offer. The bark contains alkaloids, coumarins and lignans. The tingling sanshool amides are best known from the fruit, not the bark. These groups are named without numbers.

Prickly Ash Bark vs Sichuan Pepper Products

Form	What It Is	Choose It When
10:1 Prickly Ash Bark Extract	Water-extracted, concentrated and dried bark	A bark-based extract in a dispersible powder
Sichuan Pepper Extract Powder	Water extract of the fruit, a different plant part	A fruit-based extract is specified
Sichuan Pepper Powder	Sichuan pepper fruit milled without extraction	The fruit and its pungency are wanted

The 10:1 ratio gives the amount of dried bark used per unit of extract and is not an alkaloid or amide figure. The central issue with this tree is the part: bark and fruit are traded as different ingredients with different chemistry and very different taste. A prickly ash bark extract is not a Sichuan pepper ingredient, and it does not give the tingling effect that buyers know from the spice. The bark is a woody, fibrous material, so water extraction leaves the lignified matrix behind and takes up the soluble alkaloid salts and phenolics. Buyers who want the spice character should choose the fruit products.

Typical Specifications

Specification Item	Product Information
Latin Name	Zanthoxylum bungeanum
Plant Part	Bark & Stem
Processing	Water Extraction
Common Name	Prickly Ash Bark, Chinese Prickly Ash Bark
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 Built on Bark Extracts

Prickly ash bark extract powder is filled into capsules alone or beside other bark and root extracts. The powder is fine and slightly cohesive, so check fill-weight uniformity on the machine and keep ambient humidity low in the filling room.

Stick Packs with Strong Spice Flavors

In stick packs, the bark extract gives a tan-brown, hazy dispersion with a bitter, woody taste and no real numbing character. Ginger, cinnamon and orange peel flavors cover the bitterness, and warm water dissolves the powder faster than cold.

Tablets for Bark Blends

Tablets of the extract use a dry binder and a disintegrant, or a granulate shared with other bark extracts. Alkaloid salts and phenolics can darken a pale tablet slowly, so watch color over a short stability run.

Instant Spiced Tea Powders

In instant tea-style powders, prickly ash bark extract joins a soluble base with a cinnamon or clove flavor. The bark’s woody note suits a chai-style profile, and the dispersion is clearer when the powder is first wetted in warm water.

Formulation Notes

Prickly ash bark extract is a light brown powder with a faint woody aroma and a bitter, slightly astringent taste. In water it disperses to a tan, slightly hazy liquid that darkens gently with heat. Because the pungent amides of the fruit are not the focus of the bark, the powder has no tingling mouthfeel to manage.

Soluble phenolics and alkaloid salts attract moisture, so the powder cakes after a time in damp air. Blend it into a larger carrier fraction before the mixer step to avoid static, and use barrier film for sachets. Opened containers should be closed tightly with the air pressed out, and stored away from heat and light.

Prickly ash bark extract is easy to confuse with Sichuan pepper in purchasing, so a specification sheet should name the bark as the part and Zanthoxylum bungeanum as the species. In a blend that also holds Sichuan pepper fruit extract, keep the two powders in separate, labeled containers until the mixing step.

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.