What is a certificate of analysis?

What a COA is for

A certificate of analysis is a laboratory document that reports the results of testing carried out on a specific manufactured batch of a compound. In the context of research peptides, it exists to answer two questions: is the compound in the vial or cartridge actually the sequence it is labelled as, and how much of it is that intended compound versus other material (impurities, degradation products, synthesis by-products).

A COA is not a marketing document, and a genuine one should read like a lab report: instrument names, methods, batch numbers and numeric results, rather than promotional language.

Reading the purity result: HPLC

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separates a sample into its component parts by passing it through a column under pressure, then detects each component as it elutes. For a peptide, the result is usually expressed as a percentage: the proportion of the total detected material that corresponds to a single, dominant peak (the target peptide). A figure of 99%+ purity means that peak accounts for at least 99% of everything the detector saw in that sample.

A trustworthy COA will show, or make available, the underlying chromatogram, not just the final percentage, so that a reviewer can see whether there is one clean dominant peak or several smaller peaks suggesting impurities.

Reading the identity result: mass spectrometry

Mass spectrometry measures the mass-to-charge ratio of ionised molecules in the sample, which allows the molecular weight of the dominant compound to be calculated and compared against the theoretical molecular weight of the intended sequence. A close match between measured and expected mass is strong evidence that the compound is what it claims to be, independent of the purity figure from HPLC.

Purity and identity are two separate questions: a sample can be highly pure but be the wrong compound entirely, which is why both tests matter together.

What to look for on the document itself

A batch number that matches a code printed on the product you actually received, rather than a batch number that never changes between orders, is one of the clearest signs of a genuine, per-batch COA. Beyond that, check for a test date, the name of the testing laboratory (ideally an independent, accredited third party rather than the manufacturer's own in-house claim with no lab named), and specific numeric results rather than vague statements such as high purity confirmed.

• Batch or lot number matching the product received
• Named testing laboratory and test date
• Specific HPLC purity percentage, not a rounded marketing claim
• Mass spectrometry result with measured versus expected molecular weight
• Raw chromatogram or spectrum available on request

Warning signs of a poor or fabricated COA

A COA that is identical across many different batches, undated, missing a named laboratory, or that only ever states purity as confirmed or verified without a number, should be treated with scepticism. So should a document that only lists purity and says nothing about identity confirmation, since a pure sample of the wrong compound is still useless for research purposes.

Research use only

Celyfe's COA library holds HPLC reports from a third-party laboratory (Analiza Białek, Wrocław) for NAD+ batch A26085 and WOLVERINE batch C26071, both dated 2 October 2026. The samples were supplied by Celyfe, and the reports give chromatographic purity (99%) and measured content per ml, which for NAD+ was about 110% of label and for WOLVERINE about 91% (BPC-157) and 85% (TB-500) of label. They do not include mass spectrometry, endotoxin or sterility results. Certificates for the GLOW and KLOW pens are being re-issued and are not yet published, so no GLOW or KLOW test result is claimed here. This documentation exists to support laboratory and research use, and none of it is a claim about safety or effect in a human or animal body.