Analytical standards

Laboratory testing and COAs

A practical guide to what common analytical results can establish—and the important questions a headline purity percentage cannot answer.

Identity, content and purity are different

IdentityAsks whether the detected material is consistent with the named compound, often using mass spectrometry or another structure-sensitive method.

ContentEstimates how much analyte was measured in the submitted vial or sample.

PurityDescribes the proportion of detected material represented by the main analytical peak under the stated method.

Common methods

HPLC separates components according to their interaction with a column and mobile phase. It is useful for purity profiling, but a prominent peak does not identify itself without suitable reference work.

LC–MS combines liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry. The measured mass can support molecular identity, while chromatography helps separate sample components.

What a standard purity report may not cover

Sterility or microbial contamination
Bacterial endotoxins
Residual solvents, elemental impurities or particulates
Biological activity in a living system
Stability after storage, transport or reconstitution
Clinical safety, effectiveness or regulatory approval

Read the sample details

Check the laboratory name, task number, testing and analysis dates, sample description, methods, units, measured results and verification key. A report applies to its submitted sample—not automatically to every item sharing a product name.

View available Certificates of Analysis or read the deeper COA interpretation guide.