What Does an HPLC Chromatogram Show?
An HPLC chromatogram plots detector response against retention time, and the area under the main peak represents your peptide’s purity as a percentage of total signal. Reading it correctly tells you whether a sample is clean enough for your assay.
The Main Peak and Retention Time
The main peak is your peptide, and its retention time is a fingerprint of the molecule — a shift in retention time can indicate a different molecule or a problem with the run. The main peak area divided by total area gives the purity percentage.
For a step-by-step breakdown, see our HPLC report guide.
Impurity Peaks and What They Mean
Small peaks before or after the main peak are impurities or degradation products, and their presence explains why a 98% sample still contains 2% of something else. A purity of ≥98% means those impurities are small enough not to dominate sensitive assays.
HPLC Alone Is Not Enough
HPLC measures purity but not identity, which is why mass spectrometry is required to confirm the molecule is what it claims to be. Our purity guide explains how the two work together, and you can request batch chromatograms on WhatsApp: +852 4419 8097.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What does the main peak in HPLC represent?
The main peak is your peptide, and its area as a percentage of total area gives the purity reading.
Q2: What do the small peaks mean?
Small peaks before or after the main peak are impurities or degradation products — the source of the non-peptide percentage.
Q3: Is HPLC purity enough to confirm a peptide?
No — HPLC measures purity, but only mass spectrometry confirms the molecular identity, so both are required.
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