title: Analysis of herbal dietary supplements for sexual performance enhancement: first characterization of propoxyphenyl-thiohydroxyhomosildenafil and identification of sildenafil, thiosildenafil, phentolamine and tetrahydropalmatine as adulterants.
abstract: Nine herbal dietary supplements intended to be beverages for enhancing sexual performance were analyzed before their possible launch on the market. Four of them contained a sildenafil analog reported for the first time as an adulterant. After isolation and characterization using NMR, MS, IR and UV, this analog was named propoxyphenyl-thiohydroxyhomosildenafil as the ethoxy chain on the phenyl ring of the already known analog thiohydroxyhomosildenafil was replaced by a propoxy moiety. One formulation was tainted with thiosildenafil, another unapproved PDE-5 inhibitor. Sildenafil along with the natural alkaloid tetrahydropalmatine that has no documented effect for enhancing erectile dysfunction were identified in two formulations. Another formulation was adulterated with phentolamine, a drug that is not approved for boosting male sexual performance when taken orally. The last formulation containing osthole, a bioactive natural coumarine improving sexual dysfunction, is most probably truly natural.
authors.affiliation: Groupe de RMN Biomédicale, Laboratoire SPCMIB (UMR CNRS 5068), Université Paul Sabatier, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Balayssac
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gilard
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zedde
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.forename: Myriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malet-Martino
mesh_terms: D001046:Aphrodisiacs / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001600:Berberine Alkaloids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000032:analysis*; D004340:Drug Contamination; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000187:drug effects; D010646:Phentolamine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D058986:Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010879:Piperazines / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011687:Purines / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D013450:Sulfones / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D001046:Aphrodisiacs; D001600:Berberine Alkaloids; D058986:Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors; D010879:Piperazines; D028321:Plant Preparations; D011687:Purines; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D013450:Sulfones; C014215:tetrahydropalmatine; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D010646:Phentolamine