QUICK ANSWER  One capsule contains 400 mg of Andrographis extract made from an amount equivalent to 4,000 mg of dried herb. Divide 4,000 by 400 and the ratio is 10:1. It is not 10,000:1, it is not 4,400 mg in the capsule, and the ratio alone does not prove stronger effects or better absorption.

What is Andrographis?

Andrographis paniculata is a very bitter botanical used in several Asian traditional-medicine systems. In Traditional Chinese Medicine it is commonly called Chuan xin lian. The Biogenique product uses the herb top - the above-ground portion - as the source material and provides a dry extract in a vegetarian capsule.

The exact Canadian product is Biogenique Andrographis, NPN 80132223. Its licence names one medicinal ingredient: 400 mg of Andrographis paniculata extract per capsule. Current product-page artwork lists hypromellose and silica as the non-medicinal ingredients. Those facts describe the formula; they do not establish a treatment outcome.

Decode the three numbers on the label

The math is simple: 4,000 mg crude equivalent divided by 400 mg extract equals 10. The Health Canada product licence renders the extraction ratio as 10.000:1, using three decimal places. Converting that punctuation to “10,000:1” changes the value by a factor of one thousand and contradicts the crude-equivalent math. Any label, product page or artwork using 10,000:1 should be corrected to 10:1.

A 10:1 extract is not automatically a standardized extract

Extraction ratio and standardization are separate. A ratio tells you how much crude botanical material is represented by a given amount of extract. Standardization tells you whether the finished extract is adjusted or verified to contain a stated amount of a marker or active constituent, such as andrographolides.

NPN 80132223 does not list an andrographolide percentage or milligram amount. That means the licence does not let a reader calculate how many milligrams of andrographolides are in a capsule. The ratio also does not disclose the extraction solvent, bioavailability, dissolution performance or finished-product potency. Claims such as “up to 3X faster,” “better absorption” or “clinically relevant dose” need product-specific evidence; they do not follow from 10:1 math.

What does research on colds and respiratory symptoms show?

The most-cited clinical literature is encouraging but not product-equivalent. A 2017 systematic review and meta-analysis included 33 randomized trials with 7,175 participants. It found signals of improvement in cough, sore throat and overall acute respiratory-tract-infection symptoms. The same review judged the overall study quality poor, noted substantial heterogeneity and said manufacturing and quality-control details were often missing. Its conclusion was cautious, not definitive.

Specificity matters. Many trials used extracts standardized to andrographolides, products with different extraction ratios, multi-herb combinations or doses that cannot be reconstructed from this label. A 2021 placebo-controlled trial, for example, tested Kan Jang - a fixed combination of Andrographis and Eleutherococcus providing 60 mg of andrographolides per day. That is not the same formulation as a non-standardized 400 mg Andrographis capsule.

Most importantly, this product licence does not authorize a specific claim to prevent or treat a cold, relieve cough or sore throat, support immunity, or treat a respiratory infection. Its approved purpose is the narrower wording “Combination of Traditional Chinese Medicine Ingredients.” Research on other preparations can be discussed as background, but it should not be turned into a promise for NPN 80132223.

How to take this exact product

The licensed direction is for adults 18 years and older: take one capsule twice per day. That is 800 mg of extract per day, representing 8,000 mg of crude dried herb equivalent. A 60-capsule bottle therefore supplies 30 days at the licensed dose. The licence does not specify a meal requirement or a morning-versus-evening schedule.

• Do not use during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

• Consult a health-care practitioner before use if you take prescription medication.

• Consult before use if you have a serious or major condition, any acute infection, or a deficiency or excess as understood in the product’s traditional-medicine context.

• Stop use and consult if symptoms persist, worsen or new symptoms develop.

• Consult a health-care practitioner for prolonged use.

The safety issue that deserves more attention

Andrographis has been linked to hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis. Health Canada highlighted Canadian and international reports in 2020. Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration updated its safety review in 2026 after serious reactions continued despite mandatory label warnings. The TGA says reactions can be rapid and unpredictable, can occur on first use or after previous uneventful use, and may begin within 30 minutes.

Stop taking the product and seek emergency care for signs such as trouble breathing, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, widespread hives, faintness or a sudden severe reaction. This is a rare-event warning, not a prediction that most users will react. It is also a reason to avoid presenting a botanical as automatically gentle because it is “natural.”

What a credible quality claim would require

The reviewed product files include a 2025 manufacturing invoice that lists Andrographis and product laboratory testing; it says the future COA will include heavy metals and microbiological testing. That is not a finished, lot-specific certificate of analysis. No product-specific Andrographis COA was located in the reviewed files, and no current lot was matched to a finished-product assay.

Therefore, the evidence reviewed does not substantiate “every batch” purity or potency testing, a finished-product andrographolide amount, better absorption, or “up to 3X faster.” A useful current-lot COA would identify the lot and expiry, confirm identity, report microbial and heavy-metal results, and state what - if any - finished-product assay was performed. An invoice or general quality statement is not a substitute.

This distinction is not academic. A 2025 survey of 40 international Andrographis products found wide variation between labelled and measured andrographolide amounts and detected contaminants in three online-purchased products. That study did not test this Biogenique product. It shows why product-specific, lot-specific documentation matters and why broad category results should not be used either to condemn or certify one brand.

Frequently asked questions

Is 10:1 the same as 10,000:1?

No. Here, 400 mg of extract represents 4,000 mg of crude dried herb: 4,000 divided by 400 equals 10. Writing 10,000:1 is inconsistent with those amounts and should be corrected.

Does the capsule contain 4,400 mg?

No. The physical medicinal-ingredient amount is 400 mg of extract. The 4,000 mg figure is the crude-herb equivalent used to describe concentration; it is not added on top.

Does this product contain a known amount of andrographolides?

Not from the licence or current artwork reviewed. Neither states a standardized andrographolide percentage or milligram amount, so the amount cannot be inferred from the 10:1 ratio.

Can I use it to treat a cold?

Do not turn research on other extracts into a self-treatment claim for this product. NPN 80132223 is not licensed with a specific cold-treatment or respiratory-relief claim. Acute, severe or worsening symptoms need appropriate medical assessment.

The bottom line

A clear Andrographis label separates amount, equivalence, standardization, evidence and licence. This capsule contains 400 mg of extract representing 4,000 mg of crude herb - a 10:1 relationship. That does not reveal andrographolide content, prove superior absorption or make trials on standardized combinations directly applicable. Use the licensed twice-daily direction, take the contraindications seriously, recognize the allergic-reaction signal and ask for a current lot-specific COA before repeating broad quality claims.

PUBLICATION GATE  Correct “10,000:1” to 10:1; remove or substantiate immune/respiratory, better-absorption, “3X faster,” potency and every-batch claims; surface the licensed dose and cautions; and evaluate a prominent allergic-reaction warning before publication.

Product link

View Biogenique Andrographis

Sources

1. Health Canada. Licensed Natural Health Products Database: NPN 80132223.

2. Health Canada. Hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, reported with oral Andrographis products. Health Product InfoWatch. 2020.

3. Hu XY, et al. Andrographis paniculata for symptomatic relief of acute respiratory tract infections: systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2017.

4. Melchior J, et al. Early intervention with Kan Jang for upper-respiratory tract infections: randomized placebo-controlled trial. J Tradit Complement Med. 2021.

5. Therapeutic Goods Administration. Andrographis and anaphylaxis - updated safety review. 2026.

6. Health Canada. Quality of Natural Health Products Guide.

7. Bourqui A, et al. Quality assessment of Andrographis paniculata products reveals labelling inaccuracies and contaminants. Swiss Med Wkly. 2025.

Educational information only; not medical advice. Natural health product claims, directions and risk statements are product- and licence-specific. Always read the current label.