A multidisciplinary approach for the analysis of an adulterated dietary supplement where the active pharmaceutical ingredient was embedded in the capsule shell.
Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) microspectroscopic imaging, Raman microspectroscopy, optical microscopy and high performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric (LC/MS) detection were employed to examine a dietary supplement adulterated with an undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). While a trace level of the API was detected in the capsule contents, a higher concentration of API was found in the capsule shell, which indicated the use of an unconventional manufacturing process to hide the API and thus avoid detection. This study demonstrates the need for a multidisciplinary approach to provide a complete assessment of a suspect adulterated dietary supplement.
Trace Examination Section, Forensic Chemistry Center, United States Food and Drug Administration, Cincinnati, OH 45237, USA. adam.lanzarotta@fda.hhs.gov
Adam
A
Lanzarotta
John B
JB
Crowe
Mark
M
Witkowski
Bryan M
BM
Gamble
D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000032:analysis*; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000737:chemistry*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations