Research use resources
KPV lab report: what to check on a KPV COA
KPV is one of the smallest peptides we carry: three amino acids. That makes its lab report a little different to read than the report for a longer peptide. This guide covers what a KPV certificate of analysis (COA) should show and how to check ours. For the basics of any report, see How to read a peptide lab report.
The short version
What KPV is, chemically
KPV is a tripeptide: lysine, proline and valine, written Lys-Pro-Val, or KPV from their one letter codes. It matches the last three amino acids of alpha-MSH, a 13 amino acid peptide, but it is a separate molecule.
| Reference fact | KPV, as on our product page |
|---|---|
| Sequence | Lys-Pro-Val |
| Form | Freeze dried (lyophilized) powder |
Purity: why a small peptide is harder to measure
Purity comes from HPLC: the sample runs through a column, and a detector set around 214 nm draws a peak for each component by reading its peptide bonds. A longer peptide has many peptide bonds and gives a strong signal. KPV has only two, so its peak is smaller, and because it is small and very water friendly it comes off a standard column early, close to where the solvent itself shows up.
So on a KPV report, look for a main peak that stands clear of the very start of the run, and a method suited to a small peptide. A purity number for a peak buried in the solvent front is hard to trust.
Identity: what mass spec confirms
Mass spectrometry confirms the main peak is KPV by weighing it. The report should state that the measured mass matches KPV, the compound named on it.
KPV is also sold as an amide (Lys-Pro-Val-NH2), where the end of the chain is changed. A mass spectrometer tells the two apart easily. Ours is the free acid.
Content: KPV itself, not the powder
A freeze dried peptide is never 100% peptide by weight. It also holds salts left over from making and purifying it, and a little water. KPV has two amine groups that pick up salt, and it is so small that the salt makes up a noticeable part of the weight. That is why the number that matters is content: the milligrams of KPV the lab measured, not what the powder weighs.
Our KPV report
Our KPV is listed with a report from Janoshik Analytical, test #169746 (June 2026): 98.54% purity. The link on the product page opens the report on Janoshik’s own site (verify.janoshik.com), so you see it straight from the lab, not a copy. Like every report, it covers the sample that was tested, and the product page says so when the current lot isn’t confirmed as that sample.
Checking a KPV report, step by step
- Name and sequence: KPV, Lys-Pro-Val, matching the product you are looking at.
- Purity from HPLC, with the main peak clear of the start of the run.
- Identity from mass spec: the report states that the measured mass matches KPV.
- Content in milligrams of KPV, not the weight of the powder.
- The report number opens the same report on the lab’s own site.
Common questions
Is KPV the same as alpha-MSH?
No. KPV matches the last three amino acids of alpha-MSH (positions 11 to 13), but alpha-MSH has 13 amino acids and a much higher mass. They are different molecules with different reports.
Where do I find the KPV report?
On the KPV product page under Specifications & documentation, and on our research materials page, which lists every report.