Shatavari Extract 20–60% Total Saponins

Shatavari extract is prepared from the tuberous roots of Asparagus racemosus, the climbing perennial of the Indian subcontinent, and not from the shoots of the garden asparagus or from the Chinese species. Ethanol extraction takes up the saponins of the root, and the liquor is dried to a light brown powder.

The grade range is 20–60% total saponins by UV, and the primary grade is the 60% end. The powder is 80 mesh and water soluble. The 20% grade suits drink powders and blended premixes, while the 60% grade carries a high saponin load for compact capsules and tablets.

SKU: BOT-STX-0048 Category: Standardized Extracts Tags: Ethanol Extracted, Gummies & Chews, Root & Rhizome, Saponins, Shatavari, Standardized Extracts

Total Saponin Standardization & Grades

Saponins are glycosides that foam in water, and those of shatavari are steroidal saponins built on a spirostanol or furostanol skeleton with sugar chains. The group is known in the literature as the shatavarins. The grade reports the total of saponin-type glycosides, and it does not name a single compound. The root also holds a mucilaginous polysaccharide fraction, a small amount of isoflavones and a sugar-rich matrix, and these are not counted in the saponin figure. The botanical entity is Asparagus racemosus Willd., a plant of the Asparagaceae, and the part used is the root.

Grade	Assay & Method	Where It Fits
20% Total Saponins	UV	Drink powders and blended premixes
60% Total Saponins	UV	Capsules and tablets with small fill

The two grades differ by a factor of three. The 60% grade is a saponin concentrate that supplies a defined load from a small fill. The 20% grade is closer to the root, with more of the polysaccharide and sugar fraction, so shatavari extract at this level is bulkier and softer in taste and suits drink powders and blended premixes. The root is also supplied as a 10:1 ratio extract, the Shatavari Root Extract Powder, and as a milled root, the Shatavari Root Powder. The garden vegetable asparagus is a different species with a different chemistry. Shatavari extract at 60% is the more concentrated of the two grades, and shatavari extract at 20% keeps more of the root matrix. Shatavari roots are tuberous and fleshy.

Total Saponin Analysis & Purity Risks

The saponin figure is measured by UV, a colorimetric method. The sample is reacted with an acid reagent and the absorbance is read against a reference saponin. It is not an HPLC result, and it cannot be converted into a figure for a single shatavarin.

The reaction is not specific. Other steroidal compounds and some sugars interfere to a degree, so the method suits comparison of lots made by the same route in the same laboratory. The reference saponin belongs with the figure, because a different standard gives a different percentage for the same extract.

Sample preparation affects the reading. The powder must be dissolved completely, the reaction time and temperature are controlled, and a blank corrects for the color of the extract. A concentrate at 60% is also a very high figure for a root that holds only a modest share of saponin by weight. The grade is therefore a purified fraction and not a dried root. HPLC with a light-scattering or mass detector is used beside the UV total to show the pattern of individual saponins.

Purity risks follow from the botany. Asparagus racemosus, the garden asparagus Asparagus officinalis and the Chinese asparagus Asparagus cochinchinensis are three different species, with different roots and different saponins. The part matters as well, because the shoot and the root are not interchangeable. A stated species and the root as the plant part are the first identity checks.

Typical Specifications

Specification Item	Product Information
Latin Name	Asparagus racemosus
Plant Part	Root & Rhizome
Processing	Ethanol Extraction
Compound Class	Saponins
Common Name	Shatavari, Asparagus Racemosus Root
Ingredient Type	Standardized Extract
Marker Compound(s)	Total saponins (steroidal saponins, shatavarins)
Primary Grade	60% Total Saponins (UV)
Available Grades	20% · 60% Total Saponins (UV)
Appearance	Light 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

60% Grade for Compact Capsules

The 60% grade delivers a saponin load from a small fill, which suits capsules and tablets. The light brown powder foams when wetted and is hygroscopic, so fill in a dry room and keep a desiccant in the closure of the bottle.

60% Grade in Tablet Blends

Tablets of the 60% grade need a dry binder and a moisture-tolerant filler, because saponin powders take up water and soften compacts. A film coat covers the bitter, sweetish taste, and a barrier coat or sealed blister limits moisture pickup.

20% Grade in Drink Powders

The 20% grade dissolves in water to a pale, slightly foaming drink with a mild, sweetish root taste. It suits instant mixes with milk powder, cocoa or malt flavors, and gentle stirring controls the foam.

20% Grade in Blended Premixes

Blended premixes carry the 20% grade with other root extracts and flavor carriers. The bulkier powder fills at a larger weight and is easier to meter, and it should be pre-blended with part of the carrier to avoid lumps.

20% Grade in Gummy Premixes

Gummy premixes accept the 20% grade because it dissolves in warm syrup. Add the powder after the main cook and stir gently to avoid trapped air, since saponin foam leaves bubbles in the finished gummy.

60% Grade in Stick Packs

Stick packs carry the 60% grade at a very low fill with a flow agent and a sweet carrier. Seal the packs in moisture-barrier film, since the powder clumps at the seal and the clumps dissolve slowly and foam.

Technical & Quality Considerations

For shatavari, for shatavari, the extract is a light brown powder with a faint, sweetish earthy odor and a mildly bitter taste. It is water soluble, and saponin solutions foam when stirred. The powder takes up moisture readily and cakes, especially the 20% grade, which carries more of the sugars and mucilage of the root.

Sieve before blending to break up soft lumps and fold shatavari extract into part of the carrier.

Steroidal saponins are stable at normal processing temperatures in neutral and mildly acidic bases, but long exposure to strong acid can split the sugar chains from the skeleton and change the chromatographic pattern. Compare each lot with a retained sample for color, taste and the saponin pattern, and run a stability trial in the real formula before scale-up. Clean the line after a run, because the sticky residue carries odor into the next product. A sealed liner and a cool, dry store keep shatavari powder free-flowing, and a sample from each lot tested again near the end of shelf life shows whether the packaging holds the saponin reading and the taste. Taste trials in the final base should use the intended dose, since the bitter note builds with concentration.

Shatavari extract has a mild, sweetish root taste with a bitter finish, so a trial in the real base at the target dose shows whether a sweetener or a milk or cocoa flavor is needed to round it off.

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.