Lactucin dosage

Lactucin is a bitter lactone sesquiterpene, naturally present in species of the genus Lactuca (such as Lactuca virosa or Lactuca sativa ). Used in herbal medicine for its calming, analgesic and digestive effects, this molecule serves as a marker of authenticity and concentration of extracts intended for relaxation or digestion.

Lactucin dosage is crucial for:

• Standardize dry extracts and other raw materials from Lactuca spp.
• Ensuring the quality and conformity of wild lettuce-based formulations
• Check the stability and concentration in the finished products (powders, capsules)
• Promoting plant-based ingredients in nutraceutical or dietary supplement dossiers

Analytical methodology

Lactucin analysis is performed by HPLC-DAD or LC-MS/MS depending on the required level of sensitivity:

• Extraction with ethanol or methanol
• Possible purification by filtration or solid phase (SPE)
• Chromatographic separation on C18 column
• UV detection at a specific wavelength (usually between 220–280 nm)
• Quantification by calibration curve with lactucin analytical standard

Depending on the matrix and the client's needs, the test can be adapted for the detection of derivatives (e.g., lactucopicrin, 11β,13-dihydrolactucin).

Affected matrices

• Dry or hydroalcoholic extracts of Lactuca virosa
• Powders of dried plants (leaves, stems, latex)
• Capsules, tablets, tinctures or herbal products
• Relaxing or digestive formulations based on herbal blends

Industrial applications

• Standardization of bitter plant extracts in nutraceuticals
• Quality control of botanical raw materials
• Labeling of calming or digestive formulations
• Searching for analytical profiles in the context of complex formulations
• Securing batches for manufacturers, distributors or contract manufacturers

Why choose YesWeLab?

YesWeLab connects you to a network of laboratories specializing in the analysis of plant-based active ingredients, accredited to ISO 17025 or certified according to current standards. Our partners are experts in high-performance liquid chromatography and offer robust and validated methods for lactucin quantification.

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