Three saponin grades are traded for shatavari, and they are the same root at three concentrations. The choice is about the milligrams a format can carry, the saponin delivery you want per serving, and the price per active. It is not a quality ranking, and a 60% grade in a capsule that only needs 20% is money spent on concentration you do not use.
What the number means
“20% saponins” is a gravimetric figure: the saponin-rich fraction as a share of the powder by weight, on a dry basis. It is the trade method and the basis of all three grades. It is not the shatavarin IV content, which is measured separately by HPLC and reported on request. Compare grades within the same method, and read the standardisation guide before comparing two suppliers’ numbers.
Serving arithmetic
| Grade | Extract per serving for ~100 mg saponins | Fits | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20% | 500 mg | One large capsule; a tablet; a sachet | Traditional and Ayurvedic formats, capsules, food supplements |
| 40% | 250 mg | One standard capsule; a gummy pair | Women’s health capsules, functional blends, gummies |
| 60% | ~170 mg | A small capsule; a single gummy; a shot | Pharmaceutical-grade formats, low-volume servings, premium SKUs |
The 100 mg figure is illustrative for the arithmetic; set your own target from the dosage guide and your regulatory position.
Cost per active
Price per kilogram rises with grade; price per milligram of saponins usually falls from 20% to 40% and flattens or rises again at 60%, where yield loss starts to cost. The 40% grade is the price-efficient centre for capsules and gummies; 20% wins on blends and cost-led private label; 60% earns its premium only where volume per serving is the constraint. Quote two adjacent grades at the same saponin delivery per serving and let the arithmetic decide.
Format notes
- Capsules and tablets: any grade; 40% gives a one-capsule serving at most doses.
- Gummies: 40% or 60% to keep the inclusion below the taste and texture ceiling; add late, mind the water activity.
- Powders and lattes: 20% or 40%; shatavari blends naturally with ashwagandha, cardamom and cocoa.
- Beverages: a water-soluble grade (spray-dried, carrier declared) or 60% at low inclusion; check haze and pH stability in your base.
Organic and EU rows
An organic 40% grade is available on request against buyer specification, with the transaction certificate per consignment; the organic route restricts solvents and can cap the achievable standardisation, which the organic marker-percentage guide explains. The EU row — full residue panel, ETO, PAH, aflatoxins — is available on every grade and priced separately.
Decision rule
- Set the saponin delivery per serving you want and the milligrams the format carries.
- Divide; the grade that lands it in one or two servings is your candidate.
- Quote the candidate and its neighbour on the same gravimetric basis and compare cost per active.
- Add the HPLC shatavarin IV line to the specification if your market or your dossier needs it.
Quote two shatavari grades on the same basis
20%, 40% and 60% saponins, organic and EU rows on request, samples with the lot COA.