Botanical Testing

Botanicals are plants or plant parts (such as leaves, roots, flowers, stems, seeds, fruits, or bark) that are used for their nutritional, flavor, aroma, or bioactive properties. They can be consumed directly or processed into powders, extracts, essential oils, concentrates, or purified compounds. As global demand continues to grow, so does the need for reliable scientific verification to ensure the authenticity, purity, and safety of these plant-derived materials. Alfa Chemistry is at the forefront of providing the sophisticated analytical solutions required to meet this demand, offering comprehensive botanical ingredients testing solutions based on our scientific rigor, extensive botanical knowledge, and advanced analytical capabilities.

Botanicals we test

We have extensive experience analyzing a wide range of botanical raw materials, extracts, powders, concentrates, essential oils, and finished products. Our services cover hundreds of plant species used across functional food, dietary supplements, nutraceuticals, herbal beverages, and specialty ingredient applications. Examples include:

• Herbal Extracts: Ginseng, Ginkgo Biloba, Rhodiola Rosea, Echinacea spp., Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Rhodiola, Schisandra, etc.
• Tea, Spices, and Culinary Herbs: Green Tea, Matcha, Black Tea, Turmeric and Curcumin, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cardamom, Basil, Oregano, Thyme Ginger, Garlic, Black Pepper, etc.
• Superfoods and Functional Botanicals: Elderberry, Acerola, Maca, Spirulina and Chlorella, Moringa
• Antioxidant-Rich Extracts: Green Tea Extract (EGCG), Grape Seed Extract (Proanthocyanidins), Berry Extracts (Anthocyanins), etc.
• Fruit, Flower, and Leaf Ingredients: Hibiscus, Chrysanthemum, Pomegranate, etc.
• Essential Oils and Aromatics: Lavender, Peppermint, Citrus Essential Oils, Rosemary, etc.
• Traditional and Ethnobotanicals: Kava, Valerian, St. John's Wort, Ginkgo Biloba, Echinacea, Milk Thistle (Silymarin) , etc.

The primary goals of this testing are:

• Identity Confirmation (Authentication): Verifying that the botanical material is exactly what the label claims, preventing the use of cheaper substitutes or fillers. For each botanical, we confirm identity via species-specific markers and quantify the relevant bioactive constituents, such as polyphenols, alkaloids, terpenes, glycosides, and vitamins.
• Purity and Quality Assessment: Ensuring the material is free from adulterants, contaminants (like heavy metals, pesticides, and mycotoxins), and undeclared substances.
• Potency (Standardization): Quantifying the concentration of key active or marker compounds to ensure a consistent and efficacious dose in the final product.

Key techniques we employ include:

Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry (Potency & Purity)

• High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) / Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC): The workhorse for separating and quantifying active marker compound.
• Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS): A highly sensitive technique used for the confirmation of identity, quantification of complex compounds at trace levels, and rapid, simultaneous screening for pesticides and mycotoxins.
• Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS): Essential for analyzing volatile components, such as essential oils and residual solvents.

Spectroscopic and Molecular Methods (Identity & Contaminants)

• Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) / Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR): Quick, non-destructive techniques for initial identity screening and verifying material consistency.
• Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS): The gold standard for ultra-trace elemental analysis, crucial for detecting and quantifying heavy metals (e.g., lead, cadmium, arsenic).
• DNA Barcoding/DNA Testing: A powerful and increasingly vital tool for definitive species authentication, particularly valuable when morphological or chemical analysis is inconclusive or when dealing with powdered, processed materials.

Classical Wet Chemistry (General Quality)

• Total Ash/Acid-Insoluble Ash: Measures mineral content and potential non-botanical contamination.
• Loss on Drying (LOD): Determines moisture content, which is crucial for stability and shelf life.