Study of Chromatographic Methods for Ginkgo Biloba and Echinacea in food supplements.

A report on a study of chromatographic methods for Ginkgo Biloba and Echinacea in food supplements has been published on the Government Chemist Website. Ginkgo biloba and Echinacea are popular ingredients in dietary supplements. The Government Chemist requires suitable analytical methods to assess disputed supplement content and labelling claims.

Methods for the analysis of both Ginkgo biloba and Echinacea have been successfully evaluated. This will enable the Government Chemist to make an accurate assessment of the content of active ingredients in these botanical food supplements. Assessment against the claims made for a product will require a case by case approach.

While a comprehensive survey on the Ginkgo biloba and Echinacea content in supplements was not within the scope of this work the general finding was that recoveries of the claimed amounts were variable.

More detailed information, and a link to the full paper in pdf format, may be obtained from the Government Chemist Website at the following address
http://www.governmentchemist.org.uk/Publication.aspx?elementId=598.