Choose by the agreed identity, icariin assay and method, full composition, physical limits and matching documents. A higher percentage alone does not establish a better match for your project.
View the source specification references ↗Start with a material specification
The published supplier-document references identify E. brevicornum Maxim. leaf extract and distinguish icariin ≥10% from icariin ≥98%, both by HPLC. They are two reference specifications, not a claim that either material is suitable for every formulation or destination.
State the botanical identity, plant part, named marker and minimum assay in the purchasing brief. If a document uses “icariins”, another marker name or a different reporting basis, ask the source to explain it before treating the offers as comparable. A shared product name does not settle those questions.
Compare the recorded grade limits
The table below reproduces the public supplier-reference limits. These are specification limits, not current-batch test results. Match the proposed material to its own specification and current-lot COA.
| Parameter | Icariin ≥10% reference | Icariin ≥98% reference | Recorded method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Icariin minimum | ≥10% | ≥98% | HPLC |
| Appearance | Brown powder | Yellow powder | Visual |
| Moisture | ≤5.0% | ≤1.0% | CP2015 / CP2020; 105°C, 4 h, as recorded |
| Ash | ≤5.0% | ≤1.0% | CP2015 / CP2020, as recorded |
| Particle size | 95% through 80 mesh | 95% through 80 mesh | CP2015 / CP2020, as recorded |
| Total heavy metals | <10 ppm | <10 ppm | CP2015 / CP2020, as recorded |
The appearance entries differ, as do moisture and ash limits. The particle-size and total-heavy-metals references shown here are the same. None of these entries alone proves carrier-free composition, a complete impurity profile or suitability for the intended use. Ask for the full composition and any other required test limits.
Read HPLC as a procedure, not just a label
The supplier’s English method document specifies a C18 column (4.6 × 250 mm, 5 μm), acetonitrile–water (30:70, v/v), flow 1 mL/min, detection at 270 nm, column temperature 30°C and injection volume 10 μL. It uses an icariin reference substance and external-standard calculation. Confirm the reporting basis, reference-standard traceability and method applicability for the ordered grade.
The recorded procedure is the supplier’s English method TB/ZY-C-006, Version A. Request the complete applicable revision, the definition of the measured analyte and reporting basis, reference-standard identity and purity information, and supporting chromatogram or sample-preparation details where needed. Ask the source to confirm suitability for the proposed grade rather than inferring it from the same “HPLC” label.
The CP2015 / CP2020 entries in the grade table are method references recorded by the supplier. This guide does not independently verify compliance with every requirement of those pharmacopoeias or present an external publication as validation of the supplier procedure.
Keep composition and application requirements separate from assay
Write down permitted or excluded carriers, source/process requirements and your relevant residual-solvent, contaminant and microbiological requirements. Where the published table does not state a limit or result, request it; do not interpret an absent row as a passed test.
The icariin percentage does not by itself establish processing performance, solubility, formulation dosage, finished-product efficacy or market approval. Your technical team should evaluate the proposed sample and supporting records against the intended application and destination. We do not assign either grade to a particular oral or topical formulation on the basis of assay alone.
Worked purchasing example: resolve the mismatch before comparing price
Illustrative document-review example; not a current quotation or batch result: your brief calls for leaf extract with icariin ≥98% by HPLC. Proposal A offers a ≥10% reference; proposal B states ≥98% by HPLC but does not provide the reporting basis or a lot-matched COA.
A does not match the stated minimum unless your technical team approves a change. B matches the written assay reference but still has unresolved document questions. Request the applicable specification, method information, composition and relevant COA before acceptance. A lower price or the larger assay number alone does not resolve the mismatch or missing evidence.
For a commercial comparison, align quantity, packaging, destination, delivery basis and document requirements first. Review the complete proposal rather than assuming the two grades are interchangeable or that either must have a particular price.
Connect the sample, COA and proposed shipment
Record the specification version, sample identity and lot, the COA that applies to that sample, and your team’s acceptance criteria. Clarify whether the proposed shipment belongs to the evaluated lot; request the applicable records if the lot changes.
MOQ, availability, sample costs, packaging, lead time and trade terms are confirmed for each proposed order. Request any additional testing or supplier records before agreeing terms. Historical supplier documents are reference evidence for their stated scope and do not establish the status of a future shipment.
Reference scope and next steps
This comparison uses the supplier-document references already published on our epimedium product page: two icariin HPLC grade references, their physical/chemical limits and the supplier assay procedure. It introduces no new grade, current-batch result, stock claim or destination-market approval.
Continue with your own material requirements ↗
Review a COA before purchasing ↗ · Follow the sourcing process ↗