11.01.07
The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), Silver Spring, MD, has introduced analytical methods to help dietary supplement manufacturers and ingredient suppliers ensure the authenticity of ingredients labeled as Hoodia gordonii. The two new methods employ both microscopic and high-performance thin layer chromatographic (HPTLC) techniques. A high-performance liquid chromatographic method is also under development and will be released in the future. This work was commissioned by members of the AHPA Hoodia gordonii Committee and managed by AHPA staff. It was initiated through solicitation of proposals that were evaluated by an independent expert scientific review panel, and was supported by AHPA member companies, Alkemists Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and CAMAG Scientific, Inc. When properly employed, microscopy may reveal a test material’s unique cell components as well as any structures present that should not occur in test material. HPTLC provides a characteristic visual display of compounds present in test materials.