An extract ratio of 10:1 means roughly 10 kg of dried herb was used to make 1 kg of extract. It is also called the drug to extract ratio, or DER, in pharmacopoeia language.
The ratio is not measured by testing the finished powder. It is calculated from production records: how much herb went in, and how much extract came out. You cannot confirm it with a lab test alone.
How the ratio is calculated
The maker weighs the dried herb charged into the extractor. After extraction, concentration and drying, they weigh the dry extract. Herb weight divided by extract weight gives the ratio.
The figure should be based on the native extract, before carriers or excipients are added. If 1 kg of native extract is mixed with 1 kg of maltodextrin, the product label may still say 10:1, but each kg of powder holds only half the extract. The European Pharmacopoeia approach asks for the native ratio and the excipient content to be stated separately.
Ratios are often given as a range, such as 8 to 12:1, because yield varies with the crop and the batch.
What the ratio does and does not tell you
- It tells you how concentrated the extract is compared with the herb, by weight.
- It does not tell you how much of any active compound is present.
- It depends on the solvent. A water extract and an alcohol extract of the same herb can have very different ratios and contents.
- A higher ratio is not proof of a stronger product. It may just mean a weaker solvent pulled out less.
- Two 10:1 extracts from different makers can be quite different products.
How to check a supplier's claim
Since no lab test proves a ratio, you check it on paper and in the plant.
- Ask for batch manufacturing records showing herb input weight and extract output weight.
- Ask for the solvent, the extraction conditions and the carrier amount.
- Check that the herb input is consistent with the plant's stock and purchase records.
- Test a marker compound, if one exists, to compare batches with each other.
- Test for added fillers or adulterants where the extract seems unusually cheap.
Ratio or standardised extract
Many buyers prefer an extract standardised to a marker, because it can be tested. A ratio is still useful for herbs with no agreed marker, or where a label or a traditional dose is based on herb equivalent. Some specs state both. Our article on standardised extracts from India explains the difference.
Labelling rules for ratios differ between markets. Check what your food or supplement authority allows you to claim.
Where we come in
During a plant audit we review batch records to see whether the stated ratio matches herb use and output. We also test markers and contaminants on the lot at an NABL-accredited lab, so the claim on the certificate is backed by evidence. Ask for a free sourcing review.