Shiitake mushroom fruiting bodies on burlap

Mushroom extract specifications explained: ratios, beta-glucans and polysaccharides

Short answer: an extract ratio such as 10:1 tells you how much dried mushroom was used to make the extract: roughly 10 kg of raw material for 1 kg of native extract. It says nothing about how much of a specific compound the extract contains. Beta-glucan and polysaccharide percentages do describe content, but they measure different things. On every mushroom extract specification, check which figure is given, which test method was used, which solvent was used and whether the raw material is the fruiting body or the mycelium.

Key lines on a mushroom extract specification

Use this table when you compare offers for mushroom extract powder or capsules in bulk.

Line on the specification Example What to check
Botanical name and part Hericium erinaceus (fruiting body) Species and part match your label and the EU novel food status
Extract ratio 10:1 or a range such as 8–12:1 Whether the ratio refers to the native extract or to the finished powder
Marker content % beta-glucans or % polysaccharides Which compound group is measured and with which method
Extraction solvent Water, ethanol or both Matches the novel food entry and your ingredient list
Carrier or other excipients None, or a named carrier with its share Must appear on your ingredient list
Particle size ≥ 95% through 80 mesh Suits your capsule filling, blending or drink application
Country of origin China Matches the certificate of analysis and other documents

What does a 10:1 mushroom extract ratio mean?

The extract ratio, also called the drug extract ratio (DER) or plant to extract ratio, is the ratio between the amount of dried raw material used and the amount of extract obtained. The raw material comes first: 10:1 means that about 10 kg of dried mushroom went into 1 kg of extract. Specifications often state a range, such as 8–12:1, because the yield varies between batches.

The ratio is a production figure, not a content figure. Two 10:1 extracts can differ a lot, because the result also depends on the quality of the raw material, the solvent, the extraction conditions and anything added afterwards. A review of plant to extract ratios in Frontiers in Pharmacology (Monagas et al., 2022) names the most common misunderstanding: that a higher ratio means a stronger extract. A high ratio can also come from raw material with little soluble content, or from a more selective process. For a bulk buyer, a ratio alone is therefore not enough to compare two offers.

Native extract or finished powder?

A native (or genuine) extract is the extract without added excipients. Many extract powders contain a carrier to make drying and handling easier, and that changes the arithmetic. If 1 kg of carrier is added to every kilogram of a 4:1 native extract, the finished powder works out at 2:1. Ask your supplier whether the stated ratio refers to the native extract, whether a carrier is present, which one, and in what share. Whatever is in the powder must also be on your label.

Beta-glucans or polysaccharides: what is the difference?

Polysaccharides are long chains of sugar units. In a mushroom extract this group includes beta-glucans, but also alpha-glucans such as starch and glycogen and other carbohydrates. A "% polysaccharides" figure is therefore a broad total. A "% beta-glucans" figure refers to one specific group within it, in mushrooms mainly the 1,3/1,6-beta-glucans.

The test method matters as much as the number. A widely used method for mushrooms and mycelial products, published by McCleary and Draga in the Journal of AOAC International (2016), measures total glucan after acid hydrolysis, measures alpha-glucan (starch and glycogen) separately with enzymes, and calculates beta-glucan as the difference. A method that only measures total carbohydrates cannot separate beta-glucans from starch. So a 30% polysaccharide extract and a 30% beta-glucan extract are two different specifications, and two beta-glucan figures from different methods are not directly comparable.

When you compare offers, ask for:

  • the exact compound group that is measured (beta-glucans, total polysaccharides or something else);
  • the test method, and whether the laboratory measured alpha-glucans separately;
  • whether the figure is a minimum in the specification or a result for one batch.

Fruiting body or mycelium: why the raw material matters

The fruiting body is the mushroom itself. The mycelium is the thread-like network that the fungus grows from. For a product specification and for your label, the difference matters for two reasons. First, the composition of the two raw materials can differ. Second, the EU novel food status can differ per part.

The EU Novel Food Catalogue lists, for example:

  • Lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus): the fruiting body and its aqueous extract powder are not novel; dehydrated mycelium powder is a novel food that is not authorised.
  • Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum): the same split: fruiting body and aqueous extract powder not novel, dehydrated mycelium powder a novel food that is not authorised.
  • Chaga (Inonotus obliquus): the fruiting body and its water and ethanol extracts, liquid or dried, are not novel in food supplements.

The catalogue is an orientation tool. Check the entry for the exact species, part and form you buy, and ask your competent authority if the status of your product is unclear. This is also why the extraction solvent belongs on the specification: the chaga entry, for example, names water and ethanol extracts.

Other lines to check on a mushroom extract specification

Next to the ratio and the marker content, a complete specification for a mushroom extract usually covers appearance and colour, moisture or loss on drying, particle size, microbiological limits, heavy metals and storage conditions with shelf life. Compare the specification with the certificate of analysis (CoA) of the batch you receive. Our guide on how to read a certificate of analysis explains each section of a CoA.

A few practical points for brands and contract manufacturers:

  • Keep the specification of each supplier on file. The same product name, for example "reishi extract 10:1", can hide different raw materials, solvents and carriers.
  • Match your label to the specification: the species, the part (fruiting body or mycelium) and any carrier.
  • If you fill capsules yourself, check the particle size and bulk density with your capsule filler.

Mushroom extracts in bulk and private label at GOA Supply

Our mushroom range includes extract powders, extract capsules and tinctures:

The extract ratio of each product is stated in its specification, which we send on request together with a certificate of analysis. Smaller quantities than the standard tiers are possible on request. Prices exclude shipping, and we can arrange transport. Orders are usually shipped within 1–2 weeks, depending on stock. All products are also available as private label. As the brand owner, you are responsible for your label and for any claims on it, in line with Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.

FAQ

Is a 10:1 mushroom extract ten times stronger than mushroom powder?
No. The ratio only says that about 10 kg of dried mushroom was used for 1 kg of extract. It does not state the content of any compound. For content, look at a measured marker such as beta-glucans and the method behind it.

What is the difference between beta-glucans and polysaccharides?
Polysaccharides is the broad group of long-chain carbohydrates, including starch and glycogen. Beta-glucans are one group within it. A polysaccharide percentage is therefore always a wider measure than a beta-glucan percentage.

How are beta-glucans in mushrooms measured?
A common method measures total glucan and alpha-glucan separately and calculates beta-glucan as the difference (McCleary and Draga, 2016). Ask your supplier which method the laboratory used.

Can I use mushroom mycelium in food supplements in the EU?
That depends on the species. For lion's mane and reishi, the EU Novel Food Catalogue lists dehydrated mycelium powder as a novel food that is not authorised. Check the entry for each species and part.

Do you supply a specification and CoA with mushroom extracts?
Yes. The specification, including the extract ratio, and a certificate of analysis are available on request for every product.

What is the minimum order for mushroom extracts?
10 kg for extract powders, 20,000 capsules for extract capsules and 100 bottles for tinctures. Smaller quantities are possible on request.

Sources

Written by Florian Fermin, co-owner of GOA Supply.

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