Alkemist Labs expands reference standards offering
The new reference standards are now available for order through the company’s e-commerce website.
Phytochemical standards – pure substances mostly derived from plants for which chemical structure has been determined and for which purity has been accurately measured – can be made by extraction and/or chemical synthesis. They can be complex and fragile materials, and their production requires advanced skills in extraction, organic chemistry and purification techniques, the main set of purification techniques being ‘preparative chromatography’.
After isolation, these purified substances need to be accurately qualified in order to be used as ‘standards’, using specific analytical techniques to determine their absolute purity and the content of ‘by-products’ like water or solvents.
“Reference Standards, used in the measurement of content or presence of the many phytochemicals contained in natural products, have direct impact on the ability to assess safety, quality and potency of raw materials and finished products,” said Elan Sudberg, CEO of Alkemist Labs.
“Helping companies understand and incorporate reference standards as part of their increased commitment to valid, fit for purpose product testing is an important part of our educational commitment to the industry.”
Representatives from Alkemist Labs and Extrasynthese will be available in the Alkemist booth Q-120 at Supply Side West next week to explain the significance of reference standard and dispel any confusion.
“Herbal reference standards are not used as consistently as they are in other industries, which creates vulnerabilities,” said René de Vaumas, CEO of Extrasynthese. “If other industries are any example, it’s when not if they become required for herbal product companies by regulatory agencies. It makes sense to become proficient in using them now, particularly for those companies committed to compliance and to the highest quality products.”
