What Are the Differences Between Ginseng Extracts of Different Ratios (10:1, 20:1, 50:1)
The core differences among 10:1, 20:1 and 50:1 ginseng extracts lie in four dimensions: raw material consumption, active ingredient concentration, application scenarios and cost structure. It is not true that “the higher the ratio, the absolutely better the quality”.
Basic Definition and Raw Material Consumption Difference
This ratio is the crude drug concentration ratio commonly used in the plant extract industry. It represents the corresponding weight relationship between the final finished product and the dried ginseng raw materials used:
- 10:1: For every 10kg of dried ginseng raw materials, 1kg of ginseng extract is finally obtained after extraction
- 20:1: For every 20kg of dried ginseng raw materials, 1kg of ginseng extract is finally obtained after extraction
- 50:1: For every 50kg of dried ginseng raw materials, 1kg of ginseng extract is finally obtained after extraction
The higher the ratio, the more ginseng raw materials are consumed per unit of finished product, and the higher the requirement for the enrichment capacity of the extraction process.
Concentration Difference of Core Active Ingredients
Products with different ratios have obvious differences in the content range of core active substances such as total ginsenosides:
- 10:1: The total ginsenoside content is usually in the range of 4%-8%, retaining full-spectrum water-soluble components in ginseng such as ginseng polysaccharides and amino acids
- 20:1: The total ginsenoside content generally ranges from 8% to 15%, non-active impurities are further removed, and the proportion of ginsenosides increases significantly
- 50:1: The total ginsenoside content can reach more than 20%. Some products using macroporous resin purification process can even reach more than 30%, which is a highly concentrated active enriched form.
The ratio is only a concentration dimension. The final quality must be subject to the content of ginsenoside monomers (Rg1, Rb1, Re, etc.) measured by HPLC, and the quality cannot be judged only by the ratio.
Clear Distinction of Applicable Scenarios
Ginseng extracts with different ratios are completely different in the adapted downstream product scenarios:
- 10:1: The flavor is closer to traditional ginseng, the cost is friendly, and it is suitable for products with low addition requirements such as ordinary food, ordinary health-preserving herbal tea and compressed candy
- 20:1: With moderate ginsenoside concentration and balanced solubility performance, it is the mainstream choice for health products, ordinary oral liquids and basic anti-fatigue supplements
- 50:1: With high activity and high purity, it is suitable for high-end functional supplements, sports nutrition products, special diets, and can also be used in anti-aging formulas with high addition amount in cosmetics.
Cost and Usage Boundary
The cost increases significantly with the rise of the ratio. The raw material cost of 50:1 is usually 4-5 times that of 10:1. Blindly pursuing a high ratio will cause formula waste instead
High-ratio extracts have high ginsenoside content, so they are not suitable for being directly added to ordinary food in large doses. It is easy to cause problems such as bitter taste and higher probability of excessive internal heat reaction
For daily ordinary health preservation scenarios, 10:1 or 20:1 is more than enough. Only products that clearly need high-activity efficacy support are recommended to choose the 50:1 specification.
Are you going to use the ginseng extract in ordinary food, health products or cosmetics? NutraLighting team can help you directly recommend the most suitable ratio specification.
