For research compounds, purity is the most important quality characteristic. The standard method for determining it is HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography). An HPLC report only tells you something if you know how to read it. This guide explains the basics, so you can assess test results with more confidence.
All products at Peptide Europe are intended strictly for research purposes (research use only) and not for human or animal consumption.
What is HPLC?
HPLC separates the components of a sample and measures how much of each is present. The result is a graph (chromatogram) with peaks. The largest peak belongs to the target compound; smaller peaks indicate impurities or by-products.
The three things to look at
1. Purity percentage
This is the most important number. It shows what percentage of the sample consists of the target compound. In this niche, โฅ98% is generally considered a good standard. The percentage should be stated explicitly, not just “high purity” as a marketing term.
2. The main peak and retention time
Retention time is the moment the target compound reaches the detector. A clean analysis shows one clear, sharp main peak at the expected retention time. Many small peaks around it can point to impurities.
3. Accompanying documentation (COA)
An HPLC graph should come with a COA (certificate of analysis (COA), i.e. COA): a document with the identity of the compound, the batch, the test method and the result. Without a COA, a standalone percentage is hard to verify.
Why this matters
For reproducible work in a research setting you want consistency: the same compound, the same quality, batch after batch. A verifiable HPLC report with a COA makes that possible and sets a serious supplier apart from one that relies on marketing language.
At Peptide Europe, every batch is HPLC-tested (โฅ98%) and the COA per batch is online. All compounds are intended strictly for research purposes.