| Extensive Laboratory
Testing Laboratory tests are conducted
during each critical stage of manufacture and packaging of
PhysioLogics products. Testing these representative samples
of both raw materials and finished products throughout the
manufacturing process ensures the authenticity, consistency
and quality of ingredients. Additional tests used to validate
the purity of PhysioLogics products include:
High Performance
Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
This
test can analyze the individual ingredients in a mixture. A
dissolved, liquid sample is placed in the unit, and the mixture
separates into its different components. The amount of each
component in the mixture can be measured down to parts per million.
Analyzing the HPLC plots can verify the ingredient ratios in
a mixture, or identify the purity and potency of a raw material.
For example, liquid chromatography can measure the proanthocyanidin
content in grape seed or the percentage of ginkgo flavonglycosides
in ginkgo biloba.
Infrared
Spectroscopy (FTIR)
This test
validates the authenticity and purity of a sample. A beam of
infrared light is passed through a sample. The sample absorbs
energy from the beam at certain frequencies. The frequencies
are charted, revealing an „absorption spectrum. No two herbs
or compounds have the exact same absorption spectrum, so by
comparing these charts to existing charts, we can positively
identify the herb. This test also can tell us exactly the potency
of a particular sample of ginkgo compared to another batch that,
while looking the same may not be as potent.
Ultraviolet/Visible
Spectrophotometer
A sample
is dissolved in water or alcohol, and a beam of ultraviolet
or visible light is passed through the sample solution. The
sample absorbs energy from the beam at characteristic frequencies,
and the response is recorded, much like the FTIR instrument.
While not as specific as FTIR, this technique can identify many
herbs which have unique absorbency characteristics.
Inductively
Coupled Plasma Spectrometry (ICP)
A
sample of raw material or finished product is dissolved in acid
and sprayed into the middle of a flame burning at an extremely
high temperature. Inside the flame, the different elements glow
with their own unique colors. A highly sensitive meter graphs
the brightness and color of each constituent in the flame and
measures, to parts per million, the amount of each constituent
present in the sample.
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