Crucial to a successful strategy for assessing quality is the
isolation of purified reference standards of active ingredients,
botanical adulterants and contaminants, and the standardization
of accessible analytical techniques for specific identification.
Fingerprints of plant extracts (using HPLC or LC-MS) are also
recommended. These techniques provide both qualitative and
quantitative information concerning primary active compounds,
their secondary metabolites and indications of purity of the
original source material. Unexpected peaks may indicate
contamination or adulteration.