Alkemists Labs introduces first generation of Composite Reference Botanicals (verified samples of Whole Botanicals or Plant Extracts) that are from either different regions or different seasons, combined to help develop the most robust analytical tool for companies with in-house analytical capabilities needing Botanical Identity. HPTLC with DPM (Microscopy) images with the sample preparation and analytical method are provided on the Certificate of Analysis, a critical component for contract manufacturers to be cGMP compliant for the June 2009 deadline.
Lab Analysis Information: (http://alkemist.com/services.htm)
Showing posts with label botanical identity testing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label botanical identity testing. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Seven Brands Pass Random Hoodia Identity and Purity Testing
(Costa Mesa, CA) October, 2007- Alkemists Pharmaceuticals, of Costa Mesa, California, an independent quality control and natural ingredient testing laboratory, announced today that their random spot checking of seven brands of weight-loss supplements containing the natural ingredient Hoodia, found no adulteration or contamination.
Herbal product and dietary supplement’s natural ingredients must be properly authenticated and characterized in order to ensure reproducibility in the manufacturing process. Misidentification of the collected plant and corruption of purity of the raw materials can easily occur when other species or contaminates find their way mixed into the ingredients. Extraneous ingredients such as starch, maltodextrin, sawdust, chemicals, other botanicals, and even mycotoxins and deadly allergens, have found their way into products in the past, causing potentially significant health risks.
As part of Alkemists Pharmaceuticals’ Premium Partner Random Analysis Program, dietary supplements are acquired via ‘secret shopping’ retail locations that are randomly selected throughout the Untied States. Products are then scrutinized for identity, purity and authentication of ingredients. In this case, the ingredient Hoodia, was inspected, a dietary ingredient that has suffered much adulteration in the past.
Alkemists Pharmaceuticals conducts their Premium Partner Random Analysis quarterly for companies that have volunteered for inclusion. Utilizing their Analytical Triad Analysis, Alkemists conducts tests whereby systematic identification and detection of botanicals & their marker compounds are evaluated for quality control. The most updated and sophisticated combination of technologies are employed, including Digital Photo-Microscopy (DPM), High Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) and/or High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).
Although natural ingredient testing seems fairly straightforward, analyzing individual components of a finished product manufactured within a complex matrix of food based materials it is no simple task. Highly complex materials, such as botanicals, vary significantly by influences of season, growing conditions, location and age. In addition, influencers like shelf-life of manufactured products introduce ingredient degradation possibilities. Not only must the core ingredients be tested and considered, but how additional influencers may react, corrupt or negate the desired therapeutic effects must be evaluated as well.
“I am happy to report positive news about Hoodia supplements again. As the Hoodia industry emerges from the wake of previous challenges, information of this sort is invaluable,” stated Elan Sudberg, Chief Operations Officer and Lab Manager of Alkemists Pharmaceuticals. “The voluntary random testing program enables companies, whose products are ready to be scrutinized under the microscope, both literally and figuratively, to showcase their quality.
Third party certification of ingredient purity shows consumers that the products that are purchasing come from a company who has a commitment to quality and performance, and the confidence to go the extra distance to prove it. These companies are leading the way in this industry and are differentiating themselves in the marketplace by their voluntary participation in this program. They are raising the bar by providing the extra assurance needed to garner trust and confidence in the purity of natural ingredients that end up in the bodies of their friends, their neighbors and their loved ones. “
"With so many adulterated Hoodia products in the market, Alkemists is providing a desperately needed service to identify those Hoodia products that can be trusted to contain what's promised on the bottle," said Mike Adams, a consumer health advocate and independent journalist at NewsTarget.com. "Knowing which Hoodia products can be trusted means that consumers now have several trusted brands to choose from. Genuine Hoodia is a valuable plant-based supplement for appetite control, but counterfeit Hoodia is simply a waste of money. Now consumers can tell the difference between the two."
http://www.npicenter.com/anm/templates/newsATemp.aspx?articleid=19689&zoneid=2
http://alkemist.com/Program_Outsourcing.htm
Herbal product and dietary supplement’s natural ingredients must be properly authenticated and characterized in order to ensure reproducibility in the manufacturing process. Misidentification of the collected plant and corruption of purity of the raw materials can easily occur when other species or contaminates find their way mixed into the ingredients. Extraneous ingredients such as starch, maltodextrin, sawdust, chemicals, other botanicals, and even mycotoxins and deadly allergens, have found their way into products in the past, causing potentially significant health risks.
As part of Alkemists Pharmaceuticals’ Premium Partner Random Analysis Program, dietary supplements are acquired via ‘secret shopping’ retail locations that are randomly selected throughout the Untied States. Products are then scrutinized for identity, purity and authentication of ingredients. In this case, the ingredient Hoodia, was inspected, a dietary ingredient that has suffered much adulteration in the past.
Alkemists Pharmaceuticals conducts their Premium Partner Random Analysis quarterly for companies that have volunteered for inclusion. Utilizing their Analytical Triad Analysis, Alkemists conducts tests whereby systematic identification and detection of botanicals & their marker compounds are evaluated for quality control. The most updated and sophisticated combination of technologies are employed, including Digital Photo-Microscopy (DPM), High Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) and/or High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).
Although natural ingredient testing seems fairly straightforward, analyzing individual components of a finished product manufactured within a complex matrix of food based materials it is no simple task. Highly complex materials, such as botanicals, vary significantly by influences of season, growing conditions, location and age. In addition, influencers like shelf-life of manufactured products introduce ingredient degradation possibilities. Not only must the core ingredients be tested and considered, but how additional influencers may react, corrupt or negate the desired therapeutic effects must be evaluated as well.
“I am happy to report positive news about Hoodia supplements again. As the Hoodia industry emerges from the wake of previous challenges, information of this sort is invaluable,” stated Elan Sudberg, Chief Operations Officer and Lab Manager of Alkemists Pharmaceuticals. “The voluntary random testing program enables companies, whose products are ready to be scrutinized under the microscope, both literally and figuratively, to showcase their quality.
Third party certification of ingredient purity shows consumers that the products that are purchasing come from a company who has a commitment to quality and performance, and the confidence to go the extra distance to prove it. These companies are leading the way in this industry and are differentiating themselves in the marketplace by their voluntary participation in this program. They are raising the bar by providing the extra assurance needed to garner trust and confidence in the purity of natural ingredients that end up in the bodies of their friends, their neighbors and their loved ones. “
"With so many adulterated Hoodia products in the market, Alkemists is providing a desperately needed service to identify those Hoodia products that can be trusted to contain what's promised on the bottle," said Mike Adams, a consumer health advocate and independent journalist at NewsTarget.com. "Knowing which Hoodia products can be trusted means that consumers now have several trusted brands to choose from. Genuine Hoodia is a valuable plant-based supplement for appetite control, but counterfeit Hoodia is simply a waste of money. Now consumers can tell the difference between the two."
http://www.npicenter.com/anm/templates/newsATemp.aspx?articleid=19689&zoneid=2
http://alkemist.com/Program_Outsourcing.htm
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
The Best Methods for Botanical Identity Testing - Alkemists Labs
Here at Alkemists Labs, we get a ton of questions sent every week to sales@alkemist.com on this topic and the truth of the matter is that although you start with typical Pharmacopieal methodologies (USP, JP, EP/BP, AOAC, etc), just about 9 out of 10 times, the method will need to be augmented, though recorded for repeatability purposes, due to the nature of the product/sample matrix. And by matrix I'm refering to the composition of the sample, which itself and introduce many challenges to any highly trained analyst.
So though we have a huge library and database of botanical identity methods (over 1000 now), we're constantly optimizing such methods for our clients depending on what they send us. For the whole, untouched/unextracted botanicals, analysis tends to be much simpler and consistent, but then again we get herbs and botanicals from around the world, so it's always exciting to work on new challenges. Much of what this goes to help validate is a base of experience and dated expertise that we leverage to tackle time-sensitive projects or other test requests. Most importantly, the degree of assurance and quality of work offered to Clients is what keeps them coming back. Nonetheless, the best methods for botanical identity testing are the one's developed specific to a Clients product/ingredient and presuming that the upfront investment in Development is worthwhile to them, potential downstream issues relating to product variability, ingredient sourcing, lab testing, or meeting label claims are almost certainly avoidable.
For more information check us out at http://www.alkemist.com
So though we have a huge library and database of botanical identity methods (over 1000 now), we're constantly optimizing such methods for our clients depending on what they send us. For the whole, untouched/unextracted botanicals, analysis tends to be much simpler and consistent, but then again we get herbs and botanicals from around the world, so it's always exciting to work on new challenges. Much of what this goes to help validate is a base of experience and dated expertise that we leverage to tackle time-sensitive projects or other test requests. Most importantly, the degree of assurance and quality of work offered to Clients is what keeps them coming back. Nonetheless, the best methods for botanical identity testing are the one's developed specific to a Clients product/ingredient and presuming that the upfront investment in Development is worthwhile to them, potential downstream issues relating to product variability, ingredient sourcing, lab testing, or meeting label claims are almost certainly avoidable.
For more information check us out at http://www.alkemist.com
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