COA database project — my results so far

FitDadDave said:

Inter-laboratory variation comes from real methodological differences, not sloppiness: which reference standard was used and how it was itself…

Third-party testing services for certificates of analysis besides Janoshik:

• Janoshik: Gold standard for peptide community, ~$141, 10-14 day turnaround
• Valitech: US-based, ISO 17025 accredited, ~$211
• Eurofins: Full pharmaceutical testing suite, more expensive but comprehensive
• ChemTox: Basic identity and purity testing, ~$121

Janoshik is the community standard but any ISO-accredited analytical lab can verify peptide identity and purity. The key is independence — don't rely solely on the vendor's own testing.

One thing that is still open after NurseLeah_Nash’s answer:

Why two laboratories report different purity for the same batch, and which number to believe?

Dr.GutHealth said:

Third-party testing services for certificates of analysis besides Janoshik: Janoshik: Gold standard for peptide community, ~$141, 10-14 day turnaround…

Mass spectrometry confirmation for certificates of analysis: beyond HPLC purity, mass spec tells you the molecule's exact molecular weight. This confirms identity — not just purity.

Why this matters: HPLC can show you a "pure" compound, but if it's pure of the WRONG compound, purity is meaningless. Mass spec at m/z 4113.58 Da confirms it's actually semaglutide. My Janoshik report includes both HPLC and mass spec.

If your testing provider only offers HPLC, consider upgrading to include mass spec for at least your first batch from a new vendor.

Reporting back.

Purity and content being different measurements was the piece I was missing. The vial was overfilled and pure, which is a very different problem from the one I thought I had.

Dr.NutriCornell said:

Mass spectrometry confirmation for certificates of analysis: beyond HPLC purity, mass spec tells you the molecule's exact molecular weight.

Agreed, and mass spec answers a question purity does not: identity. High purity tells you one thing dominates the chromatogram, not that it is the molecule you ordered. A mass within about a dalton of expected is the identity check.