MOTS-c Testing & Verification
MOTS-c is a niche mitochondrial-derived peptide sold across an unregulated gray market where vial labels are rarely backed by independent data. KMD Analytical verifies what is actually in your sample by RP-HPLC-UV against a certified reference standard.
What MOTS-c is
MOTS-c (Mitochondrial ORF of the 12S rRNA Type-c) is a short mitochondrial-derived peptide (MDP) of 16 amino acids, encoded within the 12S rRNA region of mitochondrial DNA. The human sequence is MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR, corresponding to a monomeric peptide of roughly 2,174 g/mol. Material offered for research is produced by solid-phase peptide synthesis and supplied as a lyophilized white-to-off-white powder. It is distributed as a research chemical rather than an approved drug, which is exactly why label claims of identity, purity, and content warrant independent analytical confirmation.
Why get your MOTS-c independently tested
- Net-peptide content vs. label mass: MOTS-c is sold by the milligram as a lyophilized powder, but total vial mass is not the same as peptide mass — counter-ion salt (typically TFA or acetate), residual water, and any bulking agent all add weight. A net-peptide assay establishes how many milligrams of actual peptide are in the vial, so underfilled or salt-heavy lots can be identified.
- Oxidation-prone residues: the MOTS-c sequence carries two methionine residues and a tryptophan, side chains that are among the most susceptible to oxidation during synthesis, handling, and storage. Oxidized related substances shift retention time and UV spectrum, and a chromatographic purity screen quantifies them as area-% impurities.
- Synthesis by-products in a 16-mer: assembling a 16-residue chain by solid-phase synthesis can leave deletion, truncation, and incomplete-coupling sequences that elute near the main peak. Purity by area-% distinguishes a clean lot from one carrying an impurity burden the label never mentions.
- Identity and substitution risk: MOTS-c is a lower-volume, higher-cost peptide relative to mainstream research compounds, and gray-market vials are frequently sold with no independent verification. Retention-time and UV-spectral matching against a certified reference standard confirms the vial actually contains MOTS-c and not a mislabeled or substituted peptide.
What we measure on MOTS-c
Every MOTS-c certificate reports exactly three analytical results by RP-HPLC-UV (reversed-phase HPLC with UV/diode-array detection at 214 nm). Identity is confirmed by matching your sample's retention time and UV spectrum to a certified MOTS-c reference standard; chromatographic purity is reported as area-% of the main peak; and the net-peptide assay reports the milligrams of peptide per vial. We do not perform mass spectrometry, sterility, endotoxin, heavy-metal, or residual-solvent testing.
Every result is issued as a certificate of analysis you — or anyone you forward it to — can verify cryptographically. Reporting identity, purity, and milligram content is the point: a vial can be pure and still underfilled, so we report all three. More on purity vs. net-peptide content and how to read a peptide COA.
Our scope — stated plainly
Testing is comparative RP-HPLC-UV against a certified reference standard, not mass spectrometry — identity is confirmed by retention-time and spectral match rather than by direct mass measurement. Because MOTS-c is a less common peptide, a certified reference standard may need to be sourced before analysis, which can add lead time. KMD Analytical is an independent laboratory.
KMD is an independent RP-HPLC-UV lab. We do not run LC-MS / mass-spec, sterility, endotoxin, or heavy-metal testing. If your job needs a capability we don't have, we'll say so.
MOTS-c testing — FAQ
Can you confirm my MOTS-c by mass spectrometry?
No. KMD Analytical uses RP-HPLC-UV, which establishes identity by matching retention time and UV spectrum to a certified reference standard rather than by measuring molecular mass. This reliably distinguishes MOTS-c from a different or mislabeled peptide, but if you specifically need mass confirmation, an LC-MS laboratory is the right fit.
What does the net-peptide assay tell me that the label doesn't?
The number printed on a vial is usually the total lyophilized mass, which includes counter-ion salt and residual water on top of the peptide itself. Our net-peptide assay reports the actual milligrams of MOTS-c present, so you can see whether a vial labeled, for example, 10 mg genuinely contains close to that in peptide.
Do I need to send anything special, and is there extra lead time?
Send your lyophilized vial (or reconstituted sample) by mail following our submission instructions. Because MOTS-c is a lower-volume peptide, we may need to source a certified reference standard before testing if one is not already on hand, which can add lead time — we will confirm this when your sample is received.
Other peptides we test
Retatrutide · Cagrilintide · Tesamorelin · BPC-157 · see the full panel.