Astragalus Root Extract

Astragalus root extract is produced from the dried root of Astragalus mongholicus Bunge — the name now accepted for the plant long catalogued as Astragalus membranaceus Fisch. ex Bunge, which Kew's Plants of the World Online treats as a conserved synonym of it. The root, known as huang qi in Chinese materia medica and as Astragali radix in pharmacopoeial texts, is normally lifted after three to four growing seasons, washed, sliced and dried before extraction. Thovek supplies water and ethanol–water extracts of this material, vacuum-concentrated and spray-dried to a free-flowing powder. Two quite different chemistries drive the specification, and because they are priced differently the buyer should settle which one the formula actually needs before asking for a quotation. The cycloartane saponins are led by astragaloside IV (C41H68O14, MW 784.97, CAS 84687-43-4) and are assayed by HPLC; commercial grades run from 0.3% through 0.5%, 1%, 5% and 10%, with cycloastragenol (C30H50O5, CAS 78574-94-4) offered separately at high purity. The polysaccharide fraction is assayed colorimetrically by UV and is usually sold at 50%, 60% or 70%. Isoflavonoids such as calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside (C22H22O10, MW 446.40, CAS 20633-67-4) travel with the saponins; the Chinese Pharmacopoeia uses astragaloside IV and calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside as its two markers for the raw root, at minima of 0.040% and 0.020% on the dried herb. A practical formulation point: low-saponin grades are water-soluble, while grades above roughly 3% astragaloside IV need ethanol or a solubiliser. The material is a plant extract with no animal-derived input — vegan and vegetarian, with no milk, egg, soy, fish, crustacean, gluten, peanut or tree-nut content. Astragalus is a Fabaceae (legume) plant, which is not itself a regulated allergen anywhere, but customers running legume cross-contact programmes should record the family. For the EU, the Commission's Novel Food Catalogue entry records Astragalus membranaceus root and its alcoholic extract at a 2:1 ratio as not novel in food supplements, with other food uses potentially novel — worth reading before a beverage or bakery launch rather than after. Brand owners position astragalus in immune-wellness and adaptogen ranges; Thovek describes composition only, makes no therapeutic claim, and leaves claim substantiation in the destination market to the customer. Every lot ships with a certificate of analysis, HPLC or UV chromatogram, heavy-metal and microbiological data, allergen and GMO statements, certificate of origin and, on request, non-irradiation and non-ethylene-oxide declarations.