Nutraceutical & Botanical Extract Testing
Nutraceutical testing and botanical extract analysis for supplement brands, ingredient suppliers, contract manufacturers and R&D teams. We make natural product reference standards in our own lab, and the same chemists who produce them develop the methods that analyze your samples. When no commercial standard exists for your compound, we can often make one.
Nutraceutical testing services
Potency & marker-compound testing
Quantitative HPLC against multipoint calibration curves built from weighed, well-characterized reference standards. Results in mg/g, % w/w or per serving. How quantitative HPLC works.
Fingerprinting & marker confirmation
HPLC fingerprints and marker confirmation by HPLC and MS against our authenticated standards, for lot-to-lot consistency and supplier checks.
Total-content assays: DMAC & Folin
DMAC for total proanthocyanidins, including cranberry PAC testing, and Folin-Ciocalteu for total phenolics as gallic acid equivalents. Published DMAC study.
Stability testing
Potency tracked over time with the same validated, standard-backed methods, so you have data behind shelf-life and label claims.
Method development & validation
Custom methods for your ingredient or finished product, validated and transferable to your QC lab. Method validation.
Custom reference standards
No commercial standard for your compound? We isolate it, characterize it and assign its purity, then calibrate with it. Compound purification.
Standards and analysis under one roof
Most botanical ingredients and nutraceutical products have no compendial method, and many marker compounds have no commercial standard. We develop custom methods for each analyte and matrix, backed by reference standards we produce ourselves, so every quantitative result is traceable to a weighed, well-characterized material.
It is the difference between a screening value and a number you can put on a label, a specification or a supplier agreement.
Botanical extract analysis by analyte
| Compound class | Example analytes | Reference standards |
|---|---|---|
| Procyanidins (cranberry, grape seed, cocoa, cinnamon, apple) | Procyanidins A1, A2, B1, B2, C1; total PACs by DMAC | Procyanidins, Cranberry |
| Kavalactones (kava) | Kavain, dihydrokavain, methysticin, dihydromethysticin, yangonin, desmethoxyyangonin | Kavalactones |
| Curcuminoids (turmeric) | Curcumin, desmethoxycurcumin, bisdesmethoxycurcumin | Curcuminoids |
| Ginsenosides (ginseng) | Ginsenosides Rb1, Rg1 | Ginsenosides |
| Glucosinolates (broccoli sprout, mustard) | Glucoraphanin, sinigrin, glucoerucin, progoitrin | Glucosinolates |
| Withanolides (ashwagandha) | Withaferin A, withanolides A and B, withanone, withanosides IV and V | Withanolides |
| Ganoderma triterpenes (reishi) | Ganoderic acids A, C2, DM, F; lucidenic acids | Ganoderma |
| Valerenic acids (valerian) | Valerenic, acetoxyvalerenic and hydroxyvalerenic acids; valerenal | Valerenic acids |
| Alkaloids and saponins | Class-specific marker alkaloids; triterpene and steroidal saponins | Alkaloids, Saponins |
We produce reference standards for every class listed, and you can add them to your Inquiry List to run the analysis in your own lab. Browse the full reference standards catalog or ask about a compound that isn't listed.
Who we help
Supplement brands
Ingredient suppliers
Contract manufacturers
R&D teams
How it works
Share what you have
Tell us about your sample, the compounds you need measured and the claim or specification behind the request.
NDA if needed
We put an NDA in place to protect confidential formulations and IP.
Formal quote
You receive a quote with the scope, method approach and timeline.
PO & shipment
Once we receive your PO, we coordinate shipment of your samples to our lab.
LIMS intake
Your samples are logged in our LIMS and assigned to an analytical chemist, who is your point of contact.
Analysis & report
We run the analysis and deliver your analytical report.
Detection, published research and stability
Choosing UV/DAD, ELSD or MS detection
We match the detector to the analyte and the matrix rather than forcing every compound through the same method. HPLC-UV/DAD is the workhorse for compounds with a good chromophore, such as curcuminoids, kavalactones, flavonoids and many alkaloids, and diode-array spectra help confirm peak identity and purity. ELSD suits weak UV absorbers, including many saponins, ginsenosides, triterpenes and sugars. MS adds selectivity and sensitivity for low-level analytes, co-eluting peaks and complex matrices, and supports identity confirmation by molecular mass.
Published study: procyanidin structure by MALDI-TOF/TOF MS
Procyanidin structure is central to how PAC results are interpreted. The published study Rapid Determination of Procyanidins Using MALDI-ToF/ToF Mass Spectrometry evaluated tandem mass spectra of 20 isolated procyanidins with degrees of polymerization up to five, and explains how to sequence A-type, B-type, mixed, linear and branched procyanidins. MALDI-TOF/TOF is not part of our routine testing menu; we share the study as background. Read our post on the study.
Stability testing support
Marker-compound levels can fall during storage, especially for polyphenols, curcuminoids and other sensitive compounds. We run stability studies that track potency over time using the same validated, standard-backed methods, so you have data behind your shelf-life and label claims. Study design, time points and storage conditions are set with you at the quote stage, and the timeline is set per project in your quote.
Typical timelines
Routine analysis: typically 5 business days from sample receipt.
Larger studies: typically about 2 weeks.
Complex screening analysis: typically 3 to 4 weeks.
Method development, validation and stability studies: timeline set per project in your quote.
Quality
Planta Analytica is not currently ISO or GLP certified or accredited. Our lab follows GLP principles and ISO/IEC 17025 practices, and we are working toward ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. Every quantitative result is tied to well-characterized reference standards, documented calibration and methods developed and validated by our senior chemists.
What you receive
- Analytical report — results, method summary and supporting data such as chromatograms
- Certificates of analysis (COAs) — prepared for your products as needed
- Quote-based pricing — every project is quoted individually
- Contaminant testing — coordinated through partner laboratories when you need it
- Sample size — typically 5 to 10 grams for most products
Frequently asked questions
We accept raw botanicals (dried herb, root, bark, seed, fruit and powders), dry and liquid extracts, standardized extracts and concentrates, finished products such as capsules, tablets, softgels, powders, gummies, tinctures and beverages, and ingredient and in-process samples. For most products we ask for a minimum of 5 to 10 grams, depending on the sample type and analysis.
Routine analysis typically takes 5 business days from sample receipt. Larger studies typically take about 2 weeks, and complex screening analysis typically takes 3 to 4 weeks. Method development, validation and stability timelines are set per project.
We can often isolate the compound from plant material or an enriched extract, characterize it and assign its purity, then use it to calibrate a quantitative method. The standard can also be supplied to you for in-house testing.
DMAC measures total soluble proanthocyanidins as a class, and its response depends on the reference standard and on the PAC structure. HPLC measures individual compounds. The two answer different questions, so results should be compared only when the method and reference are reported. When a label names specific compounds, compound-specific HPLC is the better tool; our article Qualitative or Quantitative Analysis? shows how the method behind a result can change it.
You receive an analytical report with your results, a method summary and supporting data such as chromatograms. Certificates of analysis (COAs) can be prepared for your products as needed.
Most botanical and nutraceutical products don’t have a compendial monograph method, so we develop and validate custom methods for each analyte and matrix, backed by our own reference standards.
Not yet. Planta Analytica is not currently ISO or GLP certified or accredited. Our lab follows GLP principles and ISO/IEC 17025 practices, and we are working toward ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation.
Not in our own lab. Our in-house work covers potency, marker compounds, fingerprints and total-content assays. When you need contaminant testing, we can coordinate it through partner laboratories.
We confirm the presence of expected marker compounds by HPLC and MS against our reference standards. We do not perform HPTLC or microscopic botanical identification.
Yes. We develop custom methods and validate them for specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision, range and limits of detection and quantitation. Every senior chemist at Planta Analytica contributes to method development and validation. We can run the method for you on an ongoing basis or transfer it to your QC lab or contract manufacturer, and supply the reference standards needed to run it.
Yes. We put an NDA in place on request before you share confidential formulations or data.
Every project is quoted individually based on the number of samples, the analytes, the matrix and whether a method needs to be developed or validated. Request a quote and we will respond with scope and timeline.
Start your nutraceutical testing project
Tell us about your samples and the compounds behind your claims, and a Planta Analytica chemist will follow up with a scope, timeline and quote.