Herbal extracts can be difficult to test for pesticides when using gas chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry, according to the press release, “due to concentration of the matrix during the extraction process.” NOW notes that certain extraction techniques have proven useful for routine analysis, but there are some botanicals that still prove challenging. Standardized hawthorn extract powder, as one of those challenging botanicals, was chosen for the study.
NOW scientists used C18E d-SPE cleanup in addition to the standard QuEChERS and SPE sample cleanup procedure, according to the press release. The method modification reduced the total number of non-analyzable compounds (due to chromatographic interferences) from 35 to 19. The method modification improved pesticide detection in hawthorn extract, and the NOW scientists believe the modification will also improve the method performance in other botanical extracts with similar chromatographic challenges.
Related: NOW Receives ISO Accreditation for 2 Laboratories EPA Banning Use of Pesticide Chlorpyrifos on Food Crops Confessions of a Middle Age “Glyphoholic”
NOW’s analytical pesticide team (Jerry Mueller, Camille Grigsby and Carlos Parra) developed the method and presented the research at the North American Chemical Residue Workshop (NACRW) on 7/27/2021.“This is yet another example of our commitment to science in the ongoing quest to ensure that our customers have access to the highest quality ingredients and products,” said Aaron Secrist, Executive Vice President of Quality, R&D and Operations. “The great work done by our scientists is invaluable not only to NOW but to the greater industry as we make our research available to all. This type of work often times will be the launching board for others in the industry as they struggle with similar challenges. NOW is proud to be a resource to the dietary supplement industry to help raise the bar with regards to quality and safety, and also to the greater analytical community at large.”
