The determination of unapproved drugs in New Zealand dietary supplements using validated chromatographic methods
Abstract
In line with the increasing popularity of dietary supplements, adulteration of these products is becoming more common globally. In this study, validated LC and GC methods were used to test 68 dietary supplements found in the New Zealand online marketplace, spanning products advertised for sexual enhancement and weight loss. Of the sexual enhancement supplements, 11% of those tested contained an unapproved substance that was not listed on the product label, with the erectile dysfunction drug tadalafil and the prescription medicine yohimbine detected in these samples. For the product that contained tadalafil, a consumer taking the listed maximum serving size would consume more than double the maximum daily recommended dose for tadalafil (>40 mg). While no unapproved substances were detected in weight loss supplements, high caffeine levels were observed, with two weight loss supplements having listed maximum daily serving sizes that corresponded to greater than 400 mg caffeine. Caffeine was also detected in one sexual enhancement product that did not list caffeine or tea extract on its label. While these results represent a subset of the dietary supplements available, the observation of high-risk products indicates that stricter regulations may be warranted to protect consumers from unknowingly ingesting prescription medicine.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Understanding and treating ejaculatory dysfunction in men with diabetes mellitus
- An Eco-Friendly Solid-State Electrode Modified With ZnO Nanoparticles Decorated With MWCNT as an Electrochemical Sensor for the Determination of Avanafil in Pure Form, Dosage Form and Human Plasma
- Combinations of Freeze-Dried Amorphous Vardenafil Hydrochloride with Saccharides as a Way to Enhance Dissolution Rate and Permeability
- Return to Sport, Reinjury Rate, and Tissue Changes after Muscle Strain Injury: A Narrative Review
- 875: High Prevalence of Significant Comorbid Conditions in Men with Erectile Dysfunction: Momentus Trial Demonstrates Efficacy and Safety of Tadalafil in this Group
- Safety and efficacy of phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors in fetal growth restriction: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.