Screening and determination of sibutramine in adulterated herbal slimming supplements by HPTLC-UV densitometry.
The adulteration of herbal supplements is of growing importance, especially when they contain undeclared compounds like sibutramine that are unsafe drugs. Sibutramine was withdrawn from US and European markets in 2010. In this study, an HPTLC-UV densitometric method was developed for the quantification of sibutramine in herbal diet foods. Sample extracts were directly applied onto HPTLC silica gel plates and separated with a mobile phase made of a toluene-methanol mixture. Sibutramine was quantified at 225 nm and its unequivocal identification was confirmed by MS using a TLC-MS interface. During two surveys, 52 weight loss supplements obtained via the Internet were screened. Half of those were adulterated with sibutramine at amounts reaching up to 35 mg per capsule. The results of this validated HPTLC method were compared with those obtained by HPLC-UV and HPLC-MS/MS. The results were not significantly different with the three methods.
a Official Food and Veterinary Control Authority of Geneva , Quai Ernest-Ansermet 22, CH-1211 Geneva 4 , Switzerland.
Caroline
C
Mathon
Anita
A
Ankli
Eike
E
Reich
Stefan
S
Bieri
Philippe
P
Christen
D001067:Appetite Depressants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer / Q000379:methods; D003503:Cyclobutanes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D003720:Densitometry; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D059022:Food Safety; D064088:Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points; D006801:Humans; D057230:Limit of Detection; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
D001067:Appetite Depressants; D003503:Cyclobutanes; D028321:Plant Preparations; C058254:sibutramine