Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is Withania somnifera, a small shrub in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) grown mainly in India, and the ingredient trade is built on its dried root. It is sold either as root that has been dried and milled to a powder, or as an extract made by steeping the root (and, in some branded products, the leaf) in water or a water-alcohol mix, then concentrating and drying it. Extracts are usually standardized to a declared percentage of withanolides measured by HPLC, and branded extracts differ in plant part, solvent and withanolide level.
Suppliers sell different products under the same name. Specify the one you need.
Dried, milled root with nothing removed or concentrated. Sold by mesh size and usually not standardized, so withanolide content is low and varies by lot.
Water or hydroalcoholic extract of the root, dried to a powder and sold with a minimum percentage of total withanolides by a named HPLC method. Most branded extracts are this form.
Extract that includes leaf material, which changes the withanolide profile. Some buyers and markets specify root-only material, so the plant part belongs on the specification.
Root powder or extract made from certified organic root, with the organic certificate tied to the lot.
Extract spray-dried or coated with carriers so it disperses in drinks, gummies and powders; the carrier lowers the withanolide percentage per gram.
Glycerin-based liquid extract of the root for tinctures, syrups and beverage concentrates, usually full-spectrum rather than standardized.
Compare each result with your own specification when the lot arrives.
Keep root powder and extracts sealed in lined drums or bags, away from heat, light and humidity. Dry extracts are hygroscopic and cake once exposed to air, so reseal opened containers and limit time open on the production floor. Suppliers assign a shelf life or retest date, and the withanolide assay is typically repeated at retest before material is used past it.
Withanolide content varies with growing region, harvest and root age, so each lot needs its own COA assay checked against your spec rather than an average. Record the supplier lot, plant part and retest date at receiving and pick stock first-expiry-first-out. If a label claims a branded extract, keep the supplier lot traceable to finished batches.
Facts from regulators and standards bodies, each linked to its source.
The EU Novel Food status Catalogue (entry POL-NF-00786) lists a non-concentrated aqueous infusion from Withania somnifera roots as not novel in food.
Source: ec.europa.eu (opens in a new tab)The same EU catalogue entry lists all plant parts of Withania somnifera as not novel in food supplements; other food uses are not covered by that status.
Source: ec.europa.eu (opens in a new tab)This is general information, not regulatory advice. Status differs by country and by how the ingredient is used, so check the rules for your product and market.
Manufacturers and distributors whose own websites say they sell it.
Manufacturer · Aluva, India
Sells it as Shoden
Indian botanical extract maker that sells branded ashwagandha (Shoden) and turmeric (BCM-95) extracts, made in its own factories in India.
Manufacturer · Hauppauge, NY
US botanical extract manufacturer in New York whose catalog includes ashwagandha, elderberry, maca, lion’s mane and green tea extracts, with alcohol-free glycerin-based versions and standardized grades quoted to customer spec.
Manufacturer · Hyderabad, India
Botanic Healthcare is a Hyderabad, India, maker of standardized and organic herbal extracts, branded botanical ingredients and liposomal ingredient grades for supplement and food companies.
Manufacturer · Mollet del Vallès, Spain
Euromed is a Spanish producer of standardized botanical extracts for pharmaceutical, supplement, food and cosmetic companies, with plants near Barcelona and in Murcia. It is part of the Dermapharm Group.
Distributor · Norway, IA
Frontier Co-op is a member-owned cooperative in Norway, Iowa, that sources and sells bulk herbs, spices, teas and botanicals by the pound, with a separate wholesale site for business buyers.
Manufacturer · Hyderabad, India
Sells it as KSM-66
Ixoreal makes KSM-66, a root-only ashwagandha extract produced with a water-based process that uses no alcohol. Its site describes in-house processing and quality control in India.
Manufacturer · Mumbai, India
Sells it as Zenroot
Indian botanical ingredient maker with production facilities in India that sells branded extracts, including Zenroot ashwagandha and Curcuwin turmeric.
Manufacturer · East Windsor, NJ
Standardized botanical extract manufacturer with sites in the US and India; its catalog includes ashwagandha root extracts and Curcumin C3 Complex turmeric extract.
Distributor · Sacramento, CA
Starwest Botanicals is a Sacramento company that mills and sells bulk organic herbs, spices, teas and botanical powders by the pound and in 25 lb bags, with wholesale accounts for businesses.
Suppliers are in alphabetical order and none pays to appear. Each claim is checked against the supplier’s own website on the date shown. Ask for the specification sheet and a recent COA before you order, and confirm details with the supplier.
Common forms include root powder, standardized root extract, root-and-leaf extract, organic, water-dispersible and beadlet forms and alcohol-free liquid extract. Ask each supplier for the specification sheet of the exact grade they quote.
Expect identity (HPTLC), withanolides assay (HPLC), heavy metals, microbiology, residual solvents, pesticide residues and physical tests, each with its method, specification and result for that lot.
Keep root powder and extracts sealed in lined drums or bags, away from heat, light and humidity. Dry extracts are hygroscopic and cake once exposed to air, so reseal opened containers and limit time open on the production floor. Suppliers assign a shelf life or retest date, and the withanolide assay is typically repeated at retest before material is used past it.
The EU Novel Food status Catalogue (entry POL-NF-00786) lists a non-concentrated aqueous infusion from Withania somnifera roots as not novel in food. The same EU catalogue entry lists all plant parts of Withania somnifera as not novel in food supplements; other food uses are not covered by that status.
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