Panax Ginseng
Panax ginseng is the dried root of the Araliaceae species Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, known in trade as Korean or Asian ginseng, and the extracts made from it. Its characteristic constituents are the ginsenosides, a family of dammarane type triterpene saponins of which Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, Re, Rf and Rg1 are the principal members, accompanied by polysaccharides, polyacetylenes and a small volatile fraction.
Two commercial forms of the root exist and they are not interchangeable. White ginseng is simply peeled and air dried. Red ginseng is steamed before drying, which partially hydrolyses the polar ginsenosides into the less polar forms Rg3, Rg5 and Rk1 and darkens the root, giving a different saponin fingerprint and a caramelised taste.
Extracts reach the market as a dark brown viscous paste at around 65 percent solids or as a spray dried brown powder standardised on total ginsenoside content. The powder is hygroscopic and dissolves in warm water to a bitter, faintly sweet solution with an earthy aroma. Ginsenosides are stable to normal food processing but convert further under prolonged heat and acid, which shifts the profile of the finished product.
We source bulk Panax Ginseng from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Jilin. A smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
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- Function
- Plant extract
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Brown to dark brown fine powder |
| Odour and Taste | Characteristic earthy aroma, bitter with sweet finish |
| Total Ginsenosides (HPLC) | ≥ 10.0% |
| Ginsenoside Rg1 plus Rb1 | ≥ 3.0% |
| Identification | Conforms by HPLC fingerprint against reference root |
| Loss on Drying | ≤ 6.0% |
| Total Ash | ≤ 6.0% |
| Acid Insoluble Ash | ≤ 2.0% |
| Particle Size | 100% through 80 mesh |
| Residual Ethanol | ≤ 0.5% |
| Lead | ≤ 2.0 mg/kg |
| Arsenic | ≤ 1.0 mg/kg |
| Cadmium | ≤ 1.0 mg/kg |
| Total Plate Count | ≤ 10,000 cfu/g |
| Yeast and Mould | ≤ 100 cfu/g |
| E. coli | Negative |
| Salmonella | Absent in 25 g |
Common Markets Grades
The first grade distinction is white against red ginseng, and the second is the standardised ginsenoside level. Extracts are commonly traded at 4, 7, 10, 20 and 80 percent total ginsenosides by HPLC or by the older ultraviolet method, and buyers specify which method applies because the two give different numbers on the same material. Extracts standardised on individual saponins, particularly Rg3 or the compound K fraction produced by enzymatic conversion, are quoted separately.
Ratio extracts without a saponin marker are sold at 4:1, 10:1 and 20:1 for traditional applications. Physical grades include the classic ginseng extract paste at 60 to 70 percent solids, spray dried powder at 80 mesh, instantised granules for stick packs, and whole or sliced dried root graded by size and shape. Cultivated root is distinguished from mountain and wild simulated root, and organic certified cultivation is available at limited volume.
Applications
- Dietary supplements in capsule, tablet and softgel form standardised on total ginsenoside content
- Energy and tonic drinks, where extract paste or powder is dosed as the functional botanical
- Herbal teas and instant granule stick packs, a large outlet in Korean and Chinese markets
- Traditional tonic preparations sold as extract paste in jars, taken directly or dissolved in water
- Confectionery including ginseng candies, jellies and chocolates
- Ready to drink teas and coffee blends positioned on alertness and stamina
- Sports nutrition and pre-workout formulations combined with caffeine and B vitamins
- Skin care and anti-ageing cosmetics, where ginsenosides and root polysaccharides are used for their conditioning effect
- Hair tonics and scalp preparations in the Asian personal care market
- Functional dairy and yoghurt drinks in the Asian health beverage segment
Brands Using Panax Ginseng
Widely-distributed consumer products that list Panax Ginseng on the ingredient label.
- NutricostPanax Ginseng Capsules 500 mg ↗Each two capsule serving supplies 1000 mg of Panax ginseng root, with no other active ingredient in the formula.Label verified 2026-08-31
- CodeageCognitive Brainpower Platinum ↗This nootropic capsule lists Korean red Panax ginseng alongside citicoline, ashwagandha and rhodiola rosea.Label verified 2026-08-31
- CodeageBrain Focus Vitamins+ ↗Panax ginseng appears in the ingredient rundown for this memory formula together with resveratrol, phosphatidylserine, gotu kola and kanna.Label verified 2026-08-31
Brand names, product names and logos are the property of their owners. They appear here as published evidence that the ingredient is used, taken from the brand's own label or website. Their appearance is not an endorsement, and it does not mean the brand buys from us or from any manufacturer listed on this site.
China Manufacturers of Panax Ginseng
Top Panax Ginseng manufacturers in China.
Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.
Regulatory Status
In the United States Panax ginseng root is a dietary ingredient with a long history of use and is sold in supplements under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. Ginseng also appears in the Food and Drug Administration listing of natural substances used in conjunction with flavourings at 21 CFR 172.510, which permits its use in alcoholic beverages, and ginseng extract is used more broadly in foods on a self affirmed or notified GRAS basis. There is no colour additive listing and no general food additive regulation covering ginseng extract.
In the European Union Panax ginseng root and its conventional aqueous and ethanolic extracts have a history of consumption before May 1997 and are therefore not novel foods, so they are used in food supplements as botanical ingredients. Preparations made by newer processes, including enzymatically converted compound K and highly concentrated single ginsenoside fractions, require assessment under Regulation 2015/2283. The European Medicines Agency has published a herbal monograph on Panax ginseng root, which supports registered traditional herbal medicinal products in parallel with food supplement use. Codex has no commodity standard for ginseng, and JECFA has not evaluated it because it is a botanical food rather than an additive.
Manufacturing Process
Roots are lifted after four to six years of cultivation, washed and graded. For white ginseng the root is peeled and dried in warm air to below 14 percent moisture. For red ginseng the unpeeled root is steamed at around 95 to 100 degrees Celsius for two to three hours, which gelatinises the starch and converts polar ginsenosides into the less polar deglycosylated forms, then dried slowly in stages. The steaming step is the defining transformation of the red route and the reason the two forms carry different saponin profiles.
For extract production the dried root is milled and extracted in counter current flow with hot water or aqueous ethanol at 60 to 80 degrees Celsius over several stages. The liquor is separated on a decanter centrifuge and clarified by plate or membrane filtration, and where a high saponin grade is required it is passed over a macroporous adsorption resin that binds the ginsenosides while sugars and salts pass to waste, with the saponin fraction then eluted in ethanol. Solvent is recovered by vacuum distillation, the extract concentrated in a falling film evaporator to paste consistency, then either filled as paste or blended with maltodextrin and spray dried, assayed by HPLC and packed under a moisture barrier.
