IASC Certification

Certification Criteria

Identity, purity and quality of aloe vera are determined by third-party laboratory analysis using a proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR) method together with other traditional wet chemistry methods. Identification is based upon polysaccharides which possess the 2,3,6 acetylation pattern that is unique to aloe only. Quality is measured by the profile of organic acids, some of which are native to aloe and others that indicate possible microbial contamination or improper handling. Purity is determined by the absence of foreign materials or presence of additives or excipients such as preservatives, extenders, etc. - all of which are detectable in the NMR spectral patterns. A product must be comparable to native aloe gel or whole leaf in each of these three areas to achieve certification.

Analytical Methods
Criteria	Analytical Method
Total Solids	Total Solids
HPLC (Malic Acid)	1H-NMR
Magnesium	N/A
Calcium	N/A
	Size exclusion chromatography

Freshness quality from 1H-NMR includes:

Malic acid (primary, native organic acid)
Other organic acids such as lactate, succinate, furnarate, formate and acetate are products of enzymatic or hydrolytic degradation and should be absent or at very low concentration.
Free glucose:mannose ratio > 2:1
Presence of glucomannan

Composition Fingerprint from 1H-NMR includes:

Glucomannan
Free glucose as monosaccharide
Malic Acid
Bonded acetate
C-acetylation pattern

Criteria For Certification
Property	Analytical Method	New Protocol
Identity	1H-NMR spectroscopy	1. Glucomannan 2. Acetylation pattern 3. Composition fingerprint
Quantitation	1H-NMR	Bonded acetate content x total solids
Freshness	1H-NMR HPLC (not for certification but can be used by mfg. as guidance in processing)	1. Lactic Acid:malic acid 2. Free:bonded acetate 3. Malic acid by HPLC as guide only to mfg.
Total Polysaccharides	Size exclusion chromatography using pulsed amperometric detection	1. 1:3-4 ratio of glucose:mannose 2. MW range and quantitation TBD. (Phase-in standards as we develop more field data)
Contaminants	1H-NMR	<5% (w/w) allowable, but any one contaminant >2% must be identified
Additives or excipients	1H-NMR	Same as above
Adulterants	1H-NMR	Never allowed
Biological Activity	N/A	N/A