Methylcobalamin is one of the two coenzyme forms of vitamin B12, a cobalt-centered corrin with a methyl group bound directly to cobalt. Vitamin B12 is a family of cobalamins; methylcobalamin is distinct from cyanocobalamin, the cyanide-bound form.
Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin) testing at Vanguard Laboratory: purity, quantity and identity from $250 per sample. Results in 3 to 5 business days; sterility 14 days.
Full USP monograph testing is available (USP monograph: Methylcobalamin). See USP Testing.
On this page: Testing · Compound data · Structure and names · Research · Analytical notes · USP–NF · References
Chromatographic purity and mg per unit by the method matched to the compound, identity against a reference standard. 1 unit.
| Add-on test | Price |
|---|---|
| Identity and impurities | |
| FTIR identity | $90 |
| CHNS elemental analysis (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur) | $125 |
| Chiral purity (where a chiral method exists; new methods quoted) | $250 |
| Water, solvents and salt form | |
| Water content by Karl Fischer | $60 |
| Residual solvents | $150 |
| Counterions: chloride, acetate and TFA | $70 |
| Assay | |
| Assay, % w/w (with raw powder purity; $250 together) | +$50 |
| Metals and conformity | |
| Heavy metals: arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury and lead | $150 |
| Conformity: purity and quantity on more units from the same lot | $100 per extra unit |
| Microbiology (injectables) | |
| Endotoxin | $210 |
| Sterility or bioburden | $150 |
| Container closure integrity (CCI) | $50 |
| Screening | |
| Fentanyl screen | $50 |
10% off for 10 or more samples.
Need something else? We run other tests on request.
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| Test | Purpose for this compound | Reported as | Sample | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purity and quantity | Methylcobalamin content by HPLC. HPLC testing covers methylcobalamin, hydroxocobalamin and cyanocobalamin; state which forms to report. | Purity, area percent, two decimals. Quantity, mg per unit, with label claim. | 1 sample unit; contact the laboratory about quantity for the submitted format. | 3 to 5 business days from receipt. |
| Identity | Identity of methylcobalamin versus substitution with cyanocobalamin by HPLC. | Match or no match, with the basis stated. | No additional sample unit. | 3 to 5 business days, with purity and quantity. |
| LC-MS identity | Mass evidence distinguishing the methyl (1344.4) form from cyano (1355.4) and hydroxo forms. Quoted separately. | Observed mass, expected mass, mass spectrum. | Confirm sample quantity and the compound list before shipping. | 3 to 5 business days from receipt. |
| Conformity | Check labeled microgram content in tablets, lozenges and capsules. | Purity and quantity per unit, side by side. | 1 additional unit per conformity check, same lot. | 3 to 5 business days from receipt. |
| Heavy metals | Dietary supplement ingredient; elemental contaminant limits apply to finished supplements. | Each element with result and detection or quantitation limit. | 1 extra unit. | 3 to 5 business days from receipt. |
What these results do not show: results describe the sample tested. Purity and content do not establish biological activity, sterility, or the absence of contaminants that were not tested.
Methylcobalamin: 2D drawing from the PubChem record. Registry drawings show the cobalt and methyl group as separate fragments; in the molecule cobalt(III) is coordinated by the corrin nitrogens, the benzimidazole and the methyl group.
cobalamin (cobalt corrinoid); organometallic Co(III)-methyl complex
C63H91CoN13O14P
1344.4 g/mol (anhydrous; USP lists 1344.40)
Monoisotopic 1343.5878
13422-55-4
Modifications:
Stereochemistry: Natural corrin configuration; alpha-D-ribofuranosyl nucleotide (USP name: Coα-[α-(5,6-dimethylbenzimidazolyl)]-Coβ-methylcobamide)
CAS note: Methylcobalamin (mecobalamin). Cyanocobalamin is a different compound: CAS 68-19-9, C63H88CoN14O14P.
Other names: Mecobalamin (JP/USAN), Methylcobalamin, MeCbl, Methyl-B12, Coβ-methylcobamide
PubChem CID 10898559 · UNII BR1SN1JS2W[1, 2, 3]
Structural features:
Sold in the US as a dietary supplement ingredient covered by USP dietary supplement monographs[2, 4]; listed as mecobalamin in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia (JP19)[3].
Summaries of published research, for reference only. Not a claim of safety or efficacy.
Methylcobalamin
Methylcobalamin Tablets
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Related general chapters: 〈2040〉 Disintegration and Dissolution of Dietary Supplements, 〈2091〉 Weight Variation of Dietary Supplements, 〈2232〉 Elemental Contaminants in Dietary Supplements, 〈2750〉 Manufacturing Practices for Dietary Supplements. General chapters describe test methods; they are not compound-specific monographs. Chapters numbered 1000 to 1999, such as 〈1503〉, are informational.
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