03 // What each line on the certificate means
Six panels, plus the weigh-in.
Every certificate below reports the same set of measurements. This is what each one is, what it catches, and why the cheap version of "tested" skips it.
Identity LC-MSIs it the right molecule?Liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry reads the molecular weight of what is in the vial and checks it against the peptide on the label. A vial can be 99% pure and still be the wrong compound, so this comes first.
Purity HPLCHow much of it is that molecule?High-performance liquid chromatography separates the sample and measures the fraction that is the target peptide. The rest is truncated or oxidized sequences, salts and synthesis leftovers. This is the only number most vendors publish.
Net content Multi-vialDoes the label match the vial?Three vials from the same lot are dissolved and quantified separately. The certificate reports each vial and the average, so a lot that is 99% pure but 30% short on milligrams cannot pass. We print the tested milligrams next to the labeled ones on every row below.
Endotoxin LAL · USP <85>Any pyrogens left behind?Limulus amebocyte lysate assay for bacterial endotoxin, the fever-causing residue that survives filtration and freeze-drying. Sensitivity is 0.05 EU/mL or better. Purity testing cannot see it at all.
Microbial PCRIs it clean?Polymerase chain reaction looks for bacterial and fungal DNA directly, so it catches contamination that a slow culture plate would miss or under-count. Fast enough to run on every lot instead of a quarterly sample.
Heavy metals ICP-MS · USP <232>Anything toxic riding along?Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry screens for arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead against USP limits. Synthesis reagents, resins and water are where these come from, and a pretty HPLC trace says nothing about them.
Fentanyl screen AdulterantsNothing that should not be there.A targeted screen for fentanyl and analogues on every batch. 148 certificates on file, zero detections.
Appearance & pH Visual · meterDoes it look and behave right?The lab records the lyophilized cake (white, uniform, no collapse) and the pH of the reconstituted solution. Cheap checks, but a discolored or acidic vial is often the first sign of a bad synthesis or bad storage.