If you are interested, feel free to check out some cool work that Thermo Scientific published on behalf of RSSL in the United Kingdom, using an ICS-6000 in combination with a Pickering post-column system to perform Amino Acids Analysis for the Pharmaceutical Industry.
RSSL expands GMP services for the pharmaceutical industry with combined Thermo Scientific Dionex ICS-6000 HPIC System—Pickering Pinnacle PCX amino acid analyzer solution.
by David Mazawa
A New Method Abstract Brochure from Pickering Laboratories!
As the leading experts in post-column technology and analytical methods, Pickering Laboratories invites you to explore the possibilities for expanded use with your existing HPLC instrumentation.
In an effort to increase flexibility in our marketing material and give our customers an easy reference tool, we have split method abstracts from our comprehensive Product Catalog. The method abstracts are now in their own convenient brochure. This allows us to update technical information without having to completely revise the Product Catalog. The Method Abstract Brochure is also organized in an intuitive way to make it easy to find what you’re looking for. You can now easily see what we offer at a quick glance. We now have the following sections for our method abstracts:
Download a digital copy of the Method Abstract Brochure!
Please let us know if you would like a printed copy or if you have any questions. Simply contact support@pickeringlabs.com and one of our chemists can assist you.
By Dr. Maria Ofitserova
Increasing Awareness of Nitrosamines Contamination in Water and Pharmaceuticals
Nitrosamines are a class of compounds that are considered human carcinogens and mutagenic agents. These compounds can be formed in the presence of amines and nitrosating agents and are found in water, food, cosmetics and personal care products as well as pharmaceuticals.
Contamination of drinking, ground or waste waters with Nitrosamines is due to either industrial sources or formation during sanitation process that uses chloramine. A number of states have published regulatory guidelines for levels of Nitrosamines in drinking and ground waters ranging from 0.017 to 0.0007 ppb
In cosmetics, the compound most often found as contamination is N-nitrosodiethanolamine (NDELA). The FDA monitors and reports the presence of Nitrosamines in cosmetics sold in the United States. Nitrosamines impurities are also covered in Annex II and Annex III of the European Cosmetics Directive (76/768/EEC), which establishes the regulatory limits at 50 ppb for maximum content of Nitrosamines.
Recent identification of alarming levels of Nitrosamines in a number of prescription and over-the-counter medications has led to recalls as well as permanent removal of certain products from the market. In February 2021, FDA published the guidelines
for the pharmaceutical industry to control Nitrosamines impurities in human drugs. The guidelines direct manufacturers of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) and finished pharmaceuticals to detect and prevent unacceptable levels of Nitrosamines contamination. The FDA guidelines also establish Acceptable Intake (AI) limits for Nitrosamines impurities.
Analyzing Nitrosamines at the contamination levels established for water, cosmetics and drugs requires highly sensitive analytical methods. High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with post-column photolysis and chemiluminescence detection has been used to analyze Nitrosamines in water samples without pre-concentration at levels below 1 ng/L. Determination of NDELA in cosmetics according to ISO/DIS 10130 is also performed using HPLC with post-column photolysis and chemical derivatization, followed by UV/Vis or fluorescent detection.
Pickering Laboratories, Inc. supplies laboratories with the UVETM photochemical reactor, which is ideally suited for in-line photolysis and can be easily coupled with any HPLC system for analysis of Nitrosamines in water or pharmaceuticals. Combining UVETM with the Onyx PCX derivatization system would allow laboratories to additionally implement method ISO/DIS 10130 for analysis of NDELA in cosmetics and personal care products.
By Saji George
Apocrine glands are a member of the sweat gland family. Although present from birth, apocrine glands become active during puberty and start to produce apocrine sweat. This sweat is composed of proteins, carbohydrates, fatty acids, steroids, lipids electrolytes, and nitrogen metabolites such as ammonia and urea. Apocrine sweat is initially sterile and odorless but when acted upon by commensal bacteria present in the axilla region, it produces the malodor compounds responsible for the human axillary odor.
Participation in sports and other types of exercise has become an integral part of many people’s everyday life as a means to achieving a healthy lifestyle. Clothing can play a further role in retaining or emanating odor because bodily secretions and skin bacteria may be easily transferred from the body onto the adjacent garment.
Odor-control products are now in high demand, including: textiles, personal hygiene products, and underarm hygiene products that are formulated with nutrients or antibacterial substances after careful investigation of skin flora.
Pickering Laboratories’ artificial apocrine sweat was formulated as a human mimic after thorough research of available literature. It includes necessary chemicals that are vital to its unique properties. There is nothing else like it on the market! Our diverse customers come from the fragrance, odor control, personal care, and performance textile industries, to name a few.
For more information about our artificial test solutions, please visit our website at https://www.pickeringtestsolutions.com/.
By David Mazawa and Kevin McKeown
Pickering Laboratories introduces improved Certificate of Analysis for Artificial Body Fluids products
Perspiration is on everything that we touch with our fingers or that comes into contact with our bodies. Sweat can react with materials and trigger allergies, or it can shorten the life of consumer products via corrosion or discoloration. Natural human perspiration has a complex composition and Pickering Laboratories has delivered the closest match to the “real thing.” In an effort to conform to the ever-improving internal quality objectives of our customers, we have updated the Certificates of Analysis for our Artificial Body Fluids, giving richer data and content that will help both analysts and QA managers. In this new update, you’ll find a detailed listing of the QC analyses that our products undergo, from Amino Acids Analysis by HPLC with post-column derivatization to reproducible pH testing by high-accuracy pH meters, as well as analyses of the individual components that are included in our solutions. These product testing solutions carry our “Guaranteed Chemistry” seal of approval so that you can have full trust in our reliability, with zero lot-to-lot variability. We believe this document, with its updated rich color scheme and increased data, can be a benefit to your analytical goals!
Please drop us a line to let us know what you think!
by David Mazawa
After recent research demonstrating enhanced performance capabilities, we are now offering replacements for our previous style of flow restrictors. See the two notices regarding the new style of flow restrictors used for the Vector PCX.
By Christopher Nguyen and Gloria Garcia
Now that we have good COVID-19 vaccination rates among employees at Pickering Labs and less restrictions from the county, we finally got together as a team after over a year of essential work, social distancing, and boxed lunches. Our breakroom has been closed for months too, so everyone has been eating in their cars or at their desks. Finally, last week was our first chance to get together as a whole team in the sunshine and fresh air (to enjoy some… boxed lunch LOL).
Since his hire back in November, Kevin McKeown our new Sales Manager has been remotely working from his home on the East Coast. Kevin couldn’t pass up a chance to hit California for a week at his earliest opportunity, so we threw him a little [belated] welcome luncheon while he was here.
Kevin pictured above, meeting Chris and seeing David for the first time since March 2020 at Pittcon. We wonder… is it any different having lunch with Jim Murphy now that he’s your boss, Kevin? 😉
This was also the perfect opportunity for Kevin and Chris, both pandemic hires, to meet Judy Pickering as well! She came onsite for lunch and is shown below chatting with Saji, Rebecca and Maria. Both Gloria and Judy share a love of sunflowers, so we enjoyed some beautiful centerpieces for lunch!
Earlier in the week, Christopher was also finally able to take his Production Team out for a much-deserved lunch! (Nice of them to invite Kevin along to enjoy good food and even better company.)
Pictured here: Kevin, Skip, Anita, Severo, Gabriela, Jay, Sareeta, Craig, Ed and Chris. Good looking crew!
