You ordered research compounds from a reputable vendor. The Certificate of Analysis says 98.7% purity. You assume the product is clean.
That assumption is where most researchers introduce uncontrolled variables into their protocols without knowing it.
What a Standard CoA Typically Includes
Most research peptide vendors provide a CoA with one or two data points: an HPLC-UV purity percentage and sometimes a mass spectrometry identity confirmation. That is it. The document confirms the compound is what the label says and that synthesis impurities are below a threshold.
What it does not tell you: whether the product carries bacterial contamination, what organisms might be present, whether endotoxin levels are within acceptable limits, or whether gram-negative organisms have left lipopolysaccharide residues that could affect research outcomes.
What to Look For on a CoA
Identity testing method: LC/MS/MS (liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry) provides definitive molecular identification. HPLC-UV alone can confirm purity but is less definitive for identity. Look for mass spectrometry data — molecular weight match, fragmentation pattern.
Purity method: LC/MS/MS with mass-selective detection can distinguish co-eluting impurities that UV detection misses. A purity number without method context is incomplete.
Microbiological testing: This is the line item most CoAs are missing entirely. Bioburden testing (USP <61>/<62>) screens for bacterial and fungal contamination. If your CoA does not include microbiology results, the product was not screened for living organisms.
Endotoxin testing: LAL assay results (USP <85>) quantify bacterial endotoxin in EU/mg. Endotoxins are heat-stable — they survive sterilization and filtration. A sterile product can still carry endotoxin from prior contamination events.
What Our CoA Includes
Every Park Place Peptides Certificate of Analysis documents all six parameters of our quality panel: molecular identity by LC/MS/MS, purity by LC/MS/MS, bioburden by culture, organism identification by PCR, endotoxin by LAL, and gram-negative screening by LPS. The testing methodology, USP reference standards, and quantitative results are documented for every parameter.
If your current vendor’s CoA does not include microbiological data, you do not know what else is in the vial.
See our full testing protocol →
All compounds sold by Park Place Peptides are for research use only. Not for human consumption.