The Gray Commons / Community guide
Dictionary
Decode peptide chats, price lists and COAs. Plain-English meanings, buyer’s tips and the next guide to read.
On this page
“Ten vials per kit. Lyo. Recon with BAC. Any 3P results?” If that sounds like another language, you’re in the right place. This dictionary translates the words you’ll see in peptide chats, price lists and lab reports.
Start with the word you came for. Each entry gives you the meaning, a buyer’s tip and a guide to read next.
Testing & reports
What is a COA?#
COA means certificate of analysis: the lab report behind a seller’s testing claim. It tells you which sample was tested, what the lab measured and the results. For a peptide vial, start with identity, purity and the amount in mg/vial.
Buyer’s tip: Get the original report and verification details before paying. Match the peptide and batch to the order; a polished screenshot is easy to recycle.
Purity#
The percentage that attracts attention on a COA: often something like 99%. On an HPLC report, it commonly compares the target peak with the other peaks included in the calculation. “99% pure” and “30 mg in the vial” answer different questions.
Buyer’s tip: Read the content result beside the purity result. A high percentage can sit next to an underfilled vial.
Content / mass / assay#
The measured amount of the named peptide, usually expressed as mg per vial. In community reports, “mass” often means this result. “Assay” describes a quantitative test; check its units because some reports use a percentage instead.
Buyer’s tip: Compare mg/vial with the label claim. Do not compare the weight of all the powder with the amount of active peptide.
Identity#
The test question is simple: is this actually the peptide named on the label? A laboratory checks identifying features of the sample. Knowing the amount comes after knowing what was measured.
Buyer’s tip: Ask whether identity was checked and by which method. The product name typed at the top of a report is not the identity result.
HPLC — High-performance liquid chromatography#
The lab separates components in a sample and records them as peaks—the “mountains” on a chromatogram. HPLC helps assess purity and, with a suitable calibrated method, peptide content. The method determines which peaks are detected and counted.
Buyer’s tip: If two reports show different purity, compare their methods and peak calculations before concluding that the material changed.
LC-MS — Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry#
LC separates the mixture; MS examines the mass-related signals of its components. Together they help a lab check whether the expected peptide is present and investigate other signals.
Buyer’s tip: Ask for the identity finding in plain language. “LC-MS available” on a lab’s website says less than a result for your sample.
Endotoxins#
Bacterial material that can remain even after the bacteria die. In an injection, enough endotoxin can cause fever and serious illness. A liquid can look clear and still contain it. Labs report endotoxin separately from chemical purity, using EU (endotoxin units).
Buyer’s tip: Look for the actual result and its units: EU/vial, EU/mL and EU/mg are different. “99% purity” cannot answer this question.
Read next → Understand an endotoxin result · Technical reference
3P & 2P — Who arranged the testing?#
In many peptide groups, 3P means buyer- or community-arranged testing; 2P means vendor-provided testing. Usage varies. The useful distinction is who chose the vial, who paid the lab and whether you can see the complete report.
Buyer’s tip: Give more weight to a documented sample from an ordinary order than to an unexplained “independently tested” badge.
Sterility test#
A lab checks for living microorganisms in the samples it examines. USP 71 is a commonly referenced sterility-test procedure. This is separate from an endotoxin test and from the purity percentage on a chemistry report.
Buyer’s tip: Ask for the named method, number of vials tested and result. A report that only lists microbial counts is answering a different question.
TAMC & TYMC — Microbial counts#
TAMC counts aerobic microbes; TYMC counts yeasts and molds under the test conditions. Results commonly use CFU, or colony-forming units. These are counts, rather than alternate names for a USP 71 sterility test.
Buyer’s tip: When someone calls a vial “sterility tested,” open the report and check whether it actually lists TAMC/TYMC or a sterility procedure.
LOD & LOQ — How low can the test go?#
LOD is the detection limit: how little the test can detect. LOQ is the quantitation limit: how little it can reliably measure. A “not detected” result belongs with that limit; it is not a measurement of absolute zero.
Buyer’s tip: Ask for the limit and units whenever a report says “ND,” “not detected” or “below LOQ.” Otherwise two clean-looking reports may be hard to compare.
Specification — What does “pass” mean?#
The written targets used to judge a result: which tests, which methods and which limits. A green “pass” says that a result met those targets. You still need to know what the targets were.
Buyer’s tip: Request the numeric acceptance limit, not just a green check mark. Compare like-for-like tests and units.
USP — United States Pharmacopeia#
An organization that publishes standards used for medicines and laboratory testing. A chapter number tells you the subject: for example, USP 71 concerns sterility testing. “USP” on its own leaves the exact claim unclear.
Buyer’s tip: Ask which standard or chapter the claim refers to, and where that appears on the product label or test report.
Products & preparation
What is lyo (lyophilized powder)?#
Lyo is short for lyophilized, meaning freeze-dried. In peptide chats, it usually means the dry material in a vial, which can look like loose powder or a small cake. Adding a suitable liquid to dissolve it is called reconstitution, or recon.
Buyer’s tip: Check the peptide name, mg/vial and storage instructions. “Ships as lyo” is not a reason to assume any temperature or shipping time is fine.
What is a puck or cake?#
The solid-looking disc or plug of freeze-dried material at the bottom of a vial. It can break into flakes or powder during handling. A neat puck and a crumbled cake are descriptions of appearance, not purity scores.
Buyer’s tip: Photograph visible changes, but use a batch-linked lab report to judge composition. Check unexpected discoloration, moisture or foreign particles instead of judging by how tidy the puck looks.
What does recon (reconstitution) mean?#
Recon means adding a suitable diluent to a dry preparation so it becomes a liquid. You will often see BAC water mentioned alongside it. The choice of liquid, amount and storage conditions depend on the preparation.
Buyer’s tip: Write down the peptide amount in mg and the final liquid volume in mL separately. Those are the inputs for concentration; a syringe’s “units” are another step.
What is BAC water?#
BAC means bacteriostatic water: sterile water with a preservative, commonly benzyl alcohol, that slows bacterial growth. It is discussed as a diluent in recon threads. The preservative does not clean up a contaminated vial, and compatibility depends on the product being dissolved.
Buyer’s tip: Check the full label, seal, expiry and required diluent. Plain sterile water, saline and BAC water are different products—not interchangeable names.
Read next → Understand BAC water in context · Manufacturer’s label
Vial#
The small container holding a product. Its capacity is often stated in mL, while the peptide amount may be stated in mg. A “3 mL vial” describes the container, not how much peptide is inside it.
Buyer’s tip: Confirm both numbers on an order: amount per vial and number of vials. Container size is not a concentration or a dose.
Powder — Bulk raw material or a finished vial?#
“Powder” can mean bulk raw peptide material, or the contents of a prepared freeze-dried vial. The material you see may include other formulation ingredients as well as the peptide. These are different things to buy and handle.
Buyer’s tip: Ask what the quoted weight refers to: active peptide, total powder or the whole kit. Treat bulk material as a separate proposition from labelled individual vials.
Tirz — Tirzepatide#
Tirz is community shorthand for tirzepatide. It is a nickname for the compound, not a particular brand, batch or strength. You will see it in group names, price lists and discussions of test results.
Buyer’s tip: Use the full compound name when matching a label, order and COA. A familiar nickname can hide an ambiguous product listing.
Peptides#
Molecules made from chains of amino acids. Tirzepatide is one example, but different peptides can do very different things. In a shop or group chat, “peptides” is a broad category rather than a specific product.
Buyer’s tip: Start with the exact compound name and evidence for that compound. “Peptide” alone is too broad to judge a listing or a health claim.
API — Active pharmaceutical ingredient#
The ingredient that provides a medicine’s intended activity. For a tirzepatide product, that is tirzepatide. The API is one part of the finished preparation, alongside any other ingredients and its packaging.
Buyer’s tip: Separate “where the API came from” from “who made and tested this finished batch.” Ask for records for the product actually being supplied.
TFA — Trifluoroacetic acid#
A chemical used in peptide production and purification. TFA can remain in material, including as a counterion associated with a peptide. F-19 NMR is one method used to investigate or measure it; a routine purity percentage is a separate result.
Buyer’s tip: Ask for a quantitative TFA result, units and reporting limit. A flat-looking trace or “TFA tested” badge leaves the amount unanswered.
Residual solvents#
Small amounts of manufacturing solvents left in material after processing. A solvent panel looks for named chemicals and reports how much was found. Which chemicals were included matters as much as the headline result.
Buyer’s tip: Compare the actual list of tested solvents, limits and units. “Solvent tested” is too vague to compare two batches.
Counterion#
A charged partner that accompanies a charged molecule in a salt. You may encounter terms such as acetate or trifluoroacetate in peptide specifications. The salt composition is a different detail from the HPLC purity percentage.
Buyer’s tip: Ask which chemical form is supplied and how the lab calculated peptide content. Do not treat different forms as equivalent based on matching names alone.
Deamidation#
A chemical change that can occur in certain parts of a peptide over time. It can create a slightly altered version of the original molecule. Labs may investigate these related forms when studying degradation.
Buyer’s tip: If stability is the concern, ask what degradation products the method can detect. A generic purity number gives less detail than an explanation of the changed peaks.
SPPS — Solid-phase peptide synthesis#
A manufacturing method that builds a peptide chain while it is attached to a solid support. Think of it as how the chain is assembled; purification and checking the finished material are further jobs.
Buyer’s tip: When a seller emphasizes a production method, ask for the finished batch’s results. A process name is not a substitute for those records.
Supply & community
What does “kit” mean?#
A package of vials sold together. In peptide price lists, a kit often contains 10 vials, but confirm the count with the seller. A listing such as “10 mg × 10 vials” means ten vials labelled 10 mg each—not 10 mg spread across the box.
Buyer’s tip: Get the vial count, mg per vial, total price and shipping charge in writing. “$150/kit” is incomplete without the contents.
Gray market#
In these communities, “gray” usually refers to buying peptides sold as research material—often freeze-dried vials—outside the usual prescription-pharmacy route. People use the term loosely; it is not a promise about a product’s legal status or quality.
Buyer’s tip: Identify who made the product, who is selling it and what testing connects to the batch. Start with the evidence rather than the “gray” label.
GB — Group buy#
A coordinated purchase, either a vendor’s bulk promotion or a group pooling money through an organizer. With an intermediary, another person controls the money, shipping or vials. That adds places where an order can go wrong.
Buyer’s tip: Get clear answers about who receives the payment, who ships, what happens if the order fails and how refunds work. If those answers stay vague, keep your money.
Group testing#
People share the cost of lab testing, often for vials from the same batch. It is different from a group buy. A useful project shares complete results with everyone who paid—including results the group hoped not to see.
Buyer’s tip: Agree on the batch, sample selection, full panel and access to reports before contributing. Pool the budget, not the liquid.
Batch & lot#
Codes used to connect material with production and handling records. A supplier may use separate codes for production, vial filling and stock. The code on your vial is the starting point for finding the matching report.
Buyer’s tip: Ask which batch is being shipped now and which COA covers it. A report from last month may describe a different batch.
Traceability & chain of custody#
The paper trail from material to report. Traceability follows its origin and batch; chain of custody records who handled the particular sample. Together they help explain how a tested vial relates to your order.
Buyer’s tip: Ask whose order supplied the sample and how it reached the lab. A genuine result is most useful when that connection is clear.
LTEV — Linked to each vial#
A community label for a claimed link between a test report and identified vials, often through batch information. It usually describes tracking, rather than a separate test of every vial.
Buyer’s tip: Try the link yourself. Ask how the vial identifier connects to the tested sample, rather than accepting the LTEV initials as the evidence.
MOQ — Minimum order quantity#
The smallest order the seller accepts. It might mean a number of vials, a number of kits or a minimum spend. The threshold for free shipping may be different again.
Buyer’s tip: Ask “minimum of what?” Compare the full delivered cost and avoid buying more just to unlock a headline discount.
What does RS mean in peptide groups?#
RS means research subject. In informal peptide chats, “my RS” may be a roundabout way for the writer to describe their own experience. The wording alone is not evidence of an actual research study.
Buyer’s tip: Treat “my RS felt…” as someone’s account, not a lab result. Ask what was measured, which compound was involved and when it happened. In a technical document, ask the author to expand an ambiguous abbreviation.
Read next → Separate a personal report from testing evidence
What does SWIM mean?#
SWIM expands to “someone who isn’t me.” It is older forum shorthand for discussing an experience indirectly, sometimes the writer’s own. You may also see “subject” used in a similar way. Read the actual account rather than assuming the wording makes it formal research.
Buyer’s tip: Focus on the details behind the story: the product, timeline and evidence. A coded nickname tells you none of those things.
Biology & medicine
GLP-1 & GIP#
Hormones involved in signals about food, blood sugar and metabolism. Some medicines act on their receptors. Tirzepatide acts on both GIP and GLP-1 receptors, although people often put it under the shorter “GLP-1” umbrella in conversation.
Buyer’s tip: Use the compound’s full name when comparing products. Being in the same discussion category does not make two compounds interchangeable.
SubQ / SC — Subcutaneous#
Shorthand for under the skin, describing an injection route. It tells you where an injection goes, not the amount, concentration, needle choice or schedule.
Buyer’s tip: Keep route, dose and volume as separate details. Do not copy someone’s syringe marking without understanding their concentration.
ISR — Injection-site reaction#
Redness, itching, swelling or another reaction where an injection was given. The term describes what happened and where; the cause can vary. It is a common topic in community threads.
Buyer’s tip: Keep a record of timing, symptoms and the product used. Seek medical help for severe or worsening symptoms instead of using a group-chat guess as the diagnosis.
ADA — Anti-drug antibodies#
Antibodies the immune system makes against a drug. Depending on the drug and the response, they may affect how treatment works. Feeling that a product “stopped working” is not enough to identify ADA as the reason.
Buyer’s tip: Keep a timeline of changes and discuss persistent problems with your healthcare professional. A purity COA cannot diagnose an immune response in you.
Endocrine system#
The body’s hormone-signalling network. Hormones help coordinate appetite, blood sugar, growth, reproduction and many other functions. A change in appetite is one part of a much wider picture.
Buyer’s tip: Look beyond weight alone when judging a health claim. A convincing before-and-after photo leaves out symptoms, other treatments and the rest of someone’s health history.
Keep reading
Reading a price list? Start with Gray 101’s order checks. Looking at a COA? Open Testing 101. Preparing a payment? Use Crypto 101’s send checklist.