PLEASE SUBMIT SAMPLES TO OUR MAILING ADDRESS: 200 S. MAIN STREET, SUITE 130-150, SEBASTOPOL, CA 95472

What is Ingredient Quantification Testing?

Starting in mushroom blends, LeafWorks® Ingredient Quantification Testing measures not just what species are in your product but how much of each is present.

Why use it?

Other methods can struggle with quantification of ingredients in blends, let alone identification. DNA testing using species specific markers doesn’t. Our markers offer a stable, species-specific signal that can be quantified in milligrams with high sensitivity. Paired with our rigorous experimental approach, this DNA test provides clarity where other methods fall short.

Key Benefits Of LeafWorks® Ingredient Quantication Testing:

Whether you are validating raw material identity, auditing finished product content, or testing botanical inputs from global suppliers, this DNA-based assay offers a scientifically rigorous foundation for identity confirmation.

  • Validated Formulations: Validates that the makeup of your blend meets your specification with accurate quantification.

  • Regulatory compliance: Our test meets regulatory compliance requirements in the US such as 21 CFR 111, European regulations and elsewhere abroad, for ingredient validation and accurate labeling.

  • Empowered decisionmaking: Whether you're a QA/QC manager, botanical R&D scientist, or responsible for sourcing and purchasing, this test was built to ensure you know what you have in hand.

Why Choose DNA Testing

The natural products and dietary supplements industry demands accurate and reliable identification to ensure label compliance, supply chain transparency, and product authenticity. Traditional chemical methods can fail to distinguish between botanicals, such as functional mushrooms, with similar chemical profiles and may vary based on how products were cultivated, making DNA testing an excellent choice for identification and quantification. DNA testing is impervious to masking or hidden ingredients. It cannot be fooled. Let the LeafWorks® Ingredient Quantification Testing service provide you with definitive results, to maintain quality, satisfy 21 CFR 111, and protect your brand's reputation.

Why LeafWorks?

  • Unmatched Expertise In Botanical Genetics: The LeafWorks team is led by experts at the forefront of their fields in plant and fungal genomics, state-of-the-art bioinformatics and genetic method development. We specialize in (and love) working with complex genomes and species with intricate evolutionary and life histories.
  • Taxonomy Meets Industry Insight: With trained botanists on staff and a deep love of taxonomy, we account for important species relationships in everything we do. We also have extensive knowledge in the issues and challenges behind natural products sourcing and Best Agricultural Practices to drive quality.
  • Species-Specific Precision: Our DNA assays are designed to target regions unique to the species of interest, absent in any other genome. It’s taken significant investment in our database and bioinformatic pipelines, but we have the process of identifying, utilizing and validating species-specific regions down pat.
  • Extensive Reference Database: We build our markers for DNA testing based on our DNA Database which contains thousands of authenticated Botanical Reference Materials (BRMs) and Certified Reference Materials (CRMs), curated from expert botanists, mycologists, respected CRM providers and leading herbaria. And it’s ever growing.

  • Rigorous Validation: Every assay is extensively tested to ensure accuracy and reproducibility.

  • DNA Advantage: The DNA molecule exists as a physical state that is stable and reliable for identification. It is long-lasting, hardy, unaffected by growing conditions, and unaffected by what other species are present in a blend.

  • Blend-Ready Accuracy: Because DNA cannot be masked or hidden unlike in other methods, DNA offers confident identification even in complex, multi-ingredient products.

Try the LeafWorks way and see how authenticity is in our DNA.

LeafWorks® Ingredient Quantification Testing

Quantify ingredients in blended mushroom products.

DETAILS

Want to validate the amount—down to the milligram—of mushroom ingredients or substrate in your product? Using our highly accurate LeafWorks® Mushroom DNA ID Tests as a foundation, this service employs a robust qPCR-based method to determine the amount of target mushroom or substrate species in complex blends.

Each quantification test per sample includes quantification of up to 3 ingredients. Using pure input materials as reference standards to build precise standard curves, we convert qPCR amplification signals into milligram estimates per ingredient tested using extensively vetted mathematical modeling and statistics. Built on the foundation of our highly accurate and sensitive LeafWorks® Mushroom DNA ID Tests, this service ensures reliable and transparent quantification across mushroom materials.

FEATURES
  • LeafWorks® Ingredient Quantification Testing goes beyond species identification to determine how much of a given mushroom ingredient or common substrate is present in your product.
  • Our quantification service integrates robust testing of pure input materials and the test sample itself, qPCR, and precise mathematical analysis to deliver reliable, milligram-level ingredient measurements.
  • Each quantification test per sample includes quantification of up to 3 ingredients.
  • Results can be provided in milligrams as well as % makeup.
  • Built on the rigor and reliability of the LeafWorks® Mushroom DNA ID Tests
  • This service is scientifically validated using authenticated reference materials and rigorously tested through known, unknown, and blinded blend studies.
  • Detects and quantifies species even at trace levels, enabling mushroom cultivators to optimize harvest time for myceliated products based on substrate conversion and product manufacturers to confirm a lack of substrates in their products to meet label compliance requirements.
  • Quantification tests are currently available for mushroom products, but other species options may be available. Have quantification needs outside of fungi? Please inquire.
APPLICABLE MATRICES

We can test for this species in the following matrices:

  • Raw material powders

Don’t see your matrix listed? Reach out — we’re happy to work with you to meet your testing needs.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

To conduct this testing, clients must provide:

  • A sample of the blended product.
  • Pure, single-ingredient input material for each ingredient to be quantified.
  • A pure, single-ingredient substrate sample if substrate quantification is desired.

For accuracy, input materials submitted for quantification must be processed in the same way as the ingredients used in the final blend.

TURNAROUND TIME

1-2 weeks for quantifying up to 3 ingredients in a submitted blend sample.

Any additional ingredients quantified adds 2-5 business days to the turnaround time.

SPECIES AVAILABLE FOR TESTING

Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus)

Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor)

Chaga (Inonotus obliquus)

Cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris)

Reishi (Ganoderma lingzhi; Ganoderma lucidum option coming soon)

Shiitake (Lentinula edodes)

Common mushroom substrates (e.g. grains)

DON’T SEE YOUR SPECIES LISTED?

If the species you need isn’t listed, contact us, and we'll confirm if quantification testing for this ingredient is available.

What is Ingredient Quantification Testing?

Starting in mushroom blends, LeafWorks® Ingredient Quantification Testing measures not just what species are in your product but how much of each is present.

Why use it?

Other methods can struggle with quantification of ingredients in blends, let alone identification. DNA testing using species specific markers doesn’t. Our markers offer a stable, species-specific signal that can be quantified in milligrams with high sensitivity. Paired with our rigorous experimental approach, this DNA test provides clarity where other methods fall short.

Key Benefits Of LeafWorks® Ingredient Quantication Testing:

Whether you are validating raw material identity, auditing finished product content, or testing botanical inputs from global suppliers, this DNA-based assay offers a scientifically rigorous foundation for identity confirmation.

  • Validated Formulations: Validates that the makeup of your blend meets your specification with accurate quantification.

  • Regulatory compliance: Our test meets regulatory compliance requirements in the US such as 21 CFR 111, European regulations and elsewhere abroad, for ingredient validation and accurate labeling.

  • Empowered decisionmaking: Whether you're a QA/QC manager, botanical R&D scientist, or responsible for sourcing and purchasing, this test was built to ensure you know what you have in hand.

Why Choose DNA Testing

The natural products and dietary supplements industry demands accurate and reliable identification to ensure label compliance, supply chain transparency, and product authenticity. Traditional chemical methods can fail to distinguish between botanicals, such as functional mushrooms, with similar chemical profiles and may vary based on how products were cultivated, making DNA testing an excellent choice for identification and quantification. DNA testing is impervious to masking or hidden ingredients. It cannot be fooled. Let the LeafWorks® Ingredient Quantification Testing service provide you with definitive results, to maintain quality, satisfy 21 CFR 111, and protect your brand's reputation.

Why LeafWorks?

  • Unmatched Expertise In Botanical Genetics: The LeafWorks team is led by experts at the forefront of their fields in plant and fungal genomics, state-of-the-art bioinformatics and genetic method development. We specialize in (and love) working with complex genomes and species with intricate evolutionary and life histories.
  • Taxonomy Meets Industry Insight: With trained botanists on staff and a deep love of taxonomy, we account for important species relationships in everything we do. We also have extensive knowledge in the issues and challenges behind natural products sourcing and Best Agricultural Practices to drive quality.
  • Species-Specific Precision: Our DNA assays are designed to target regions unique to the species of interest, absent in any other genome. It’s taken significant investment in our database and bioinformatic pipelines, but we have the process of identifying, utilizing and validating species-specific regions down pat.
  • Extensive Reference Database: We build our markers for DNA testing based on our DNA Database which contains thousands of authenticated Botanical Reference Materials (BRMs) and Certified Reference Materials (CRMs), curated from expert botanists, mycologists, respected CRM providers and leading herbaria. And it’s ever growing.

  • Rigorous Validation: Every assay is extensively tested to ensure accuracy and reproducibility.

  • DNA Advantage: The DNA molecule exists as a physical state that is stable and reliable for identification. It is long-lasting, hardy, unaffected by growing conditions, and unaffected by what other species are present in a blend.

  • Blend-Ready Accuracy: Because DNA cannot be masked or hidden unlike in other methods, DNA offers confident identification even in complex, multi-ingredient products.

Try the LeafWorks way and see how authenticity is in our DNA.