Natural Products Laboratory:
Examples of analytical and quality assurance testing services
Product or Plant Material QA/QC Testing
Methods may require material-specific development and purchase of reference standard(s).
- Alpha and beta acids in hops or hop extracts (Humulus lupulus) by UV-Vis spectrophotometry or HPLC
- Antioxidant activity: Estimation as vitamin C equivalents by DPPH free radical quenching
- Ash and acid-insoluble ash
- Catechins in green tea (Camellia sinensis) by HPLC
- GC: Essential oil qualitative profile
- General chemical assays
- Total anthocyanins: Estimation via pH-differential reaction
- Total flavonoids: Estimation as rutin equivalents via an aluminum chloride reaction
- Total phenolics: Estimation as gallic acid equivalents with the Folin-Ciocalteau method
- General microbiological assays
- Total aerobic microbial count
- Total yeast and mold count
- HPLC: Berberine and hydrastine in goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) quantitative analysis
- HPLC: Triterpene glycosides in a black cohosh (Actaea racemosa) by HPLC and evaporative light scattering detection
- HPLC: UV filters in cosmetic formulations
- HPTLC: Identity testing by high-performance thin-layer chromatography, where reference methods and materials are available
- Moisture content
- pH
- Viscosity
- Water activity
Beverage Analysis
- Current price list
- Beer, cider, and kombucha: Alcohol by volume, caloric content, haze, CO2 and O2 content, specific gravity, and real and apparent degree of fermentation
- Beer: Bitterness units, pH, total acidity
- Kombucha: Titratable acidity, pH, color, alcohol by volume
- Spirits: Alcohol by volume
- Wine: Titratable acidity, alcohol by volume
- Caffeine content in kombucha, tea, yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis), or cassina (Yaupon tea, Ilex vomitoria)
- Microbiological screening for aerobic and anaerobic organisms, Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and wild yeast
- Other tests include foam collapse rate, total VDK, total solids, and ash content
Method Development, Feasibility, & Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
Our method development choices are typically based on our client’s requests. If you have a project you would like to pursue that has not previously been performed in our lab, the following fees will apply:
- Per hour development fee: This will cover development and adaptation to our equipment. The development of SOPs for your procedure(s) is available upon request and will be billed at the same rate.
- Per-hour equipment use fee: This will cover associated equipment use costs.
- Materials use fee: This will cover any materials necessary to develop and run the method.
- Per sample pricing: The cost per sample is determined once your method has been established.
Pricing for previously developed methods is based on the laboratory’s cost to complete the analysis. Calibration standards, where required, are often an expensive component of the overall cost. Our costs decrease when we can do projects with multiple samples submitted at one time or regularly over a given period. Please contact us for method availability and pricing before submitting samples.
If our method development services are desired, please contact us to discuss your specific needs and obtain a quote for the requested work. We are often able to expand our services by working on new projects. If you don’t see what you’re looking for here, ask us about method development.
The lab also offers laboratory rental for research and development or quality control testing.