Extract Ratios Explained: 1:5, 1:2 and 10:1
What ratios like 1:5, 1:2 and 10:1 mean on herbal extract labels, using EU definitions and real monograph examples, and what a ratio cannot tell you.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
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Read this first
A ratio describes how a product was made. It does not tell you how much of any compound you are getting, and it does not make two products equivalent. A review of plant-to-extract ratios warns they can be misleading when their meaning is not clearly understood. [1] If you take medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are choosing for a child, ask a pharmacist before using any extract, and tell your surgical team about it before an operation. See the medication interactions guide.What the numbers mean
The EU defines the drug extract ratio (DER) as the ratio between the quantity of herbal substance used in making a herbal preparation and the quantity of preparation obtained. [2] The number before the colon is the relative amount of herbal substance. [2] So, by this definition:- 10:1 means about 10 parts of herb were used for each 1 part of extract obtained (typical wording for dry extracts).
- 1:5 written as a DER means 1 part of herb gave 5 parts of preparation.
Tinctures are written differently in the monographs we read: as a "ratio of herbal substance to extraction solvent", for example 1:5. [3] Whether this and a DER are interchangeable is not described in the sources we read, so check which one a label means.
Examples from EU monographs
| Herb (plant part) | Preparation and ratio | Solvent |
|---|---|---|
| Ginger, Zingiber officinale Roscoe (rhizome) | Tinctures 1:10 and 1:2 [4] | Ethanol 90% V/V |
| Lemon balm, Melissa officinalis L. (leaf) | Tincture 1:5; liquid extract DER 1:1 [3] | Ethanol 45-53% V/V |
| Valerian, Valeriana officinalis L. (root) | Tinctures 1:8 and 1:5 [5] | Ethanol 60% and 70% V/V |
Plant names were checked against GBIF. [6]
Why a ratio is not a strength
The review explains that a ratio does not fully describe an extract because the quality of the starting plant, the extraction solvent, the duration and temperature of extraction, and the excipients all shape the final extract. [1] It also notes ratios are often used as a measure of extract strength for dosage calculations, despite these issues. [1]The ginger monograph shows how far two tinctures of one herb can differ. For adults it lists 1.5-3 ml of the 1:10 tincture or 0.25-0.5 ml of the 1:2 tincture, each three times daily. [4] These are the amounts in the EU regulator's monograph for registered products, quoted only to show the ratio changes the volume. They are not advice, and a clinician or pharmacist decides what is right for a person.
Frequently asked questions
What does a 1:5 tincture mean?
In EU monographs, a 1:5 tincture is a ratio of herbal substance to extraction solvent of 1 to 5. [3][5]
What does 10:1 mean on an extract?
By the EU definition of the drug extract ratio, 10 parts of herb to 1 part of extract obtained. [2]
Is a 1:2 tincture twice as strong as 1:5?
Not safely assumed. The review says ratios can be misleading and do not fully describe an extract. [1] Ask a pharmacist.
Do higher ratios mean more active compound?
Proper evidence not found in the sources we read; solvent, plant quality and processing also matter. [1]
Can I make a tincture at a given ratio at home?
We give no home-extraction instructions. See the overview.
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Limits and what a reader can do
- We could not read a source that converts one ratio into another reliably; Proper evidence not found for a universal conversion.
- Compare products by botanical name, plant part, solvent and ratio together, not ratio alone. See reading a label and standardized extracts.
- Ask a pharmacist before swapping one product for another.
References
- Understanding plant to extract ratios in botanical extracts. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2022. PubMed 36249773 (abstract read 2026-10-23).
- European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). Patient Leaflet template concerning advice on the preparation of herbal teas as (traditional) herbal medicinal products by end-users, EMA/HMPC/30603/2012, adopted 20 September 2016. Read 2026-10-23.
- European Medicines Agency, HMPC. Community herbal monograph on Melissa officinalis L., folium, EMA/HMPC/196745/2012. Read 2026-10-23.
- European Medicines Agency, HMPC. European Union herbal monograph on Zingiber officinale Roscoe, rhizoma, EMA/HMPC/885789/2022, Final Revision 1, 7 May 2025. Read 2026-10-23.
- European Medicines Agency, HMPC. European Union herbal monograph on Valeriana officinalis L., radix, EMA/HMPC/150848/2015. Read 2026-10-23.
- GBIF Secretariat. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy species match, queried 2026-10-23 for the plant names on these pages.